> Regardless of your location, I concur. I work downtown, but I live
> almost to Katy on the far western edge, and the B&N is a lifeline for
> both open and stealth progressives, counterbalancing the warp hole of
> limitations and negativity called Wal-mart (which keeps the "Left
> Behind" crowd satiated). I was exposed to "Bitch" magazine via
> browsing at B&N, and they were my source until I finally subbed,
> because B&N kept selling out. Same with the Advocate, which also
> sells out, week after week, or any number of other progressive mags
> and books. Even better, staff has been great at researching and
> ordering books, too, but anystore is only as good as it's staff with
> this stuff.
Corporate bookstores have their silver linings and you highlight the impact that just having *access* to a big bookstore can have on a community that didn't have many bookstores before the chain stores. These bookstores are not devoid of radical content, which is why you can't totally dismiss them. I know that when I worked with Alternative Press Review I appreciated the fact that we could put a radical magazine on the newstands of almost every Borders and Barnes and Noble around the country. That and the bestseller success of Michael Moore, Barbara Ehrenreich, Eric Schlosser and so on, convinced me that the radical left has been laboring under the illusion that there is no interest in our ideas. If we can get out shit together, we could take over the newstands in suburban Texas. ;-)
> Teens out here are *starving* for information, radical ideas and
> something different. I'd rather see the posing Goth with java in one
> hand, unlit Sobranie stuck hanging on their lip, perusing the
> philosphy section and at least getting the names and titles in their
> heads at a B&N - exposure! the first step! - than have nothing at
> all.
Good point!
> The feminist and gay bookstores here used to be a great source for
> indie, progressive and radical lit and policy, but they are gone.
> Some of the gay bookstores were able to keep in stock excellent
> progressive and radical titles and still turn a profit by running
> adult video rentals in the back, books and bumperstickers in the
> front, until copyright laws and violations thereof caught some off
> guard. An indie feminist/gay bookstore stayed alive for awhile by
> feeding into the Rice U. population's needs, but that store closed
> when one of the owners entered politics.
Another blow to the community. And what happened to those customers that kept these bookstores open? They opted for the convenience and glitz of the chains, instead of sticking by their principles and sticking with the independents. This phenomenon is one of the biggest hurdles we radicals face, as people who should be supporting us can't exercise any responsibility and self-discipline to shop responsibly.
> As such, we don't have the community bookstore that Chuck describes,
> and yes, I wish we did. It's a bitch having to drive to Austin for
> that, but boycotting and pissin' and moanin' about B&N doesn't get us
> there, either.
Well, I buy stuff from corporate bookstores, but typically crap that independents never have carried. I would buy more books and stuff from independents, but so few of them exist. When I can, I try to do things like Christmas shopping at independents.
Michael Pugliese wrote:
> Many books that Modern Times (or Cody's or Moe's in Berkeley, over
> the yrs. Cody's has reduced their shelf space in the Marxist and
> Anarchist section considerably. At Cody's there are now 4 shelves of
> Marxism, back a decade ago it was triple that, and the Anarchist
> section is half of what they had a decade ago. Andy Cody, the owner
> back in 80's was in the League of Revolutionary Struggle but, one
> wouldn't know figure that from the books he [doesn't] stock.) does not
> carry from small radical presses, like a great autobio. by a Prairie
> Power SDS'er, Borders does. They were founded by Madison, Wisconsin
> student radicals circa '70 or so.
Right. The selection at independent bookstores these days is not the same as it was 15 years ago, where shelves would have been packed with books to the ceiling. Remember Guild Books in Chicago? Or how about that
nice little store across the street from the Univ. of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia?
Chuck0