At the King's English Bookstore, Salt Lake City, Utah, the holiday
season started with Buy Local First week, which actually lasted 10
days--through two weekends--in the middle of November. "It was great
for business and a big promotional thing," co-owner Betsy Burton told Shelf Awareness.
During the "educational" event that was held throughout the state, the King's English and other merchants in its part of Salt Lake City (near the corner of 15th and 15th) gave discounts of 15% so long as customers said they shopped locally. All four major TV stations in the city did stories, and other media covered the event. For Burton, "the best part" of the week was being able to have dialogues with customers about the importance of local businesses. "People were so responsive," she said.
Seven years ago, the King's English had been involved in a buy local program, the Salt Lake City Vest Pocket Business Coalition. Its focus was on educating the government about the value of independent businesses to the local economy and fight against giving economic perks to developers with chains. The Coalition hosted debates, helped a new mayor become elected and ensured that independent businesses are part of the process.
By contrast, Buy Local First Utah, whose membership has grown to nearly 500 businesses, is working across Utah to educate consumers about the importance of local businesses much like similar movements in Boulder, Colo., and Austin, Tex., among other places. The organization plans to hire a director early next year and organize more buy local first events, probably in the spring and around Independence Day.
"People are yearning for community," Burton said. "They are mad in a way they were during the Vietnam War." They link the loss of community with the growth of big box retailers like Wal-Mart, the war and political divisiveness. "Buying local is very powerful," she added. "It seems to be happening everywhere, sometimes very spontaneously." Speaking of independent booksellers, she said, "This and Book Sense are our best hope. It works so well for us."
Another major holiday event is the store's annual holiday party that features local authors, which was held last Thursday. Among the authors honored this year were Pat Bagley, the cartoonist whose Clueless George Goes to Washington is "the single bestselling title of the season," Burton said. And for the first time, Burton herself attended in her capacity as an author (she related this with what seemed like a mix of pride, embarrassment and irony): she just finished her extensive tour for The King's English, her memoir of bookselling that appeared March.
Through the beginning of December, business at the King's English has been "good," Burton said. Among titles she and the staff are handselling or are doing well:
The March by E.L. Doctorow, "my favorite novel of the year. You can sell it to absolutely everybody. It's for people who love a literary novel, for people who love a good read, for people who love history. It's at the head of the list."
Missing Mom by Joyce Carol Oates, which is "very unusual for her. It's not unusual for her to have a book that's unusual for her, but this is really unusual. It's about two sisters whose mother is brutally slain."
Ash and Bone by John Harvey, "a fine dark English mystery. It's a mystery, not a thriller, and almost as complex as John le Carre or P.D. James. It's like the best of Peter Robinson."
Childhood at Oriol by Michael Burn, "a lovely novel from the '50s set between the world wars that has been reissued by Turtle Point. It's for people who want a quietly beautiful book."
Although Burton is selling the Man Booker winner The Sea by John Banville, she is handselling another novel that she calls very similar to The Sea: it's Rules for Old Men Waiting by Peter Pouncey, which came out this spring. "When people ask for The Sea, I say it's a fine novel but also say have you seen this?" Burton said. "It's having a whole new life this fall."
"A beautiful first novel," Rules for Old Men Waiting is about "a man locked in winter in his house in New England. His wife has just died and he's preparing for death himself. He makes a set of rules to keep up and engage in life. He starts to write a novel. The death of his son is involved, too. It's filled with all the education and information in this man's head. It's just brilliant."
Other important titles:
Burton's favorite stock stuffers include Case Histories by Kate Atkinson and Banishing Verona by Margot Livesey.
Perhaps most intriguing, Burton is promoting a book this season that won't be out until next year. It's A Strong West Wind by Gail Caldwell, a Boston Globe book editor, about growing up in Texas. "Caldwell has caught the essence of a woman growing up in the West. It's totally enchanting." So Burton is giving gift certificates for the book to "people my age who I think will love this book," whether they are feminists, have a feeling for the West or want to know about the West. "I tell them this book is coming for you later in February," Burton said.
During the "educational" event that was held throughout the state, the King's English and other merchants in its part of Salt Lake City (near the corner of 15th and 15th) gave discounts of 15% so long as customers said they shopped locally. All four major TV stations in the city did stories, and other media covered the event. For Burton, "the best part" of the week was being able to have dialogues with customers about the importance of local businesses. "People were so responsive," she said.
Seven years ago, the King's English had been involved in a buy local program, the Salt Lake City Vest Pocket Business Coalition. Its focus was on educating the government about the value of independent businesses to the local economy and fight against giving economic perks to developers with chains. The Coalition hosted debates, helped a new mayor become elected and ensured that independent businesses are part of the process.
By contrast, Buy Local First Utah, whose membership has grown to nearly 500 businesses, is working across Utah to educate consumers about the importance of local businesses much like similar movements in Boulder, Colo., and Austin, Tex., among other places. The organization plans to hire a director early next year and organize more buy local first events, probably in the spring and around Independence Day.
"People are yearning for community," Burton said. "They are mad in a way they were during the Vietnam War." They link the loss of community with the growth of big box retailers like Wal-Mart, the war and political divisiveness. "Buying local is very powerful," she added. "It seems to be happening everywhere, sometimes very spontaneously." Speaking of independent booksellers, she said, "This and Book Sense are our best hope. It works so well for us."
Another major holiday event is the store's annual holiday party that features local authors, which was held last Thursday. Among the authors honored this year were Pat Bagley, the cartoonist whose Clueless George Goes to Washington is "the single bestselling title of the season," Burton said. And for the first time, Burton herself attended in her capacity as an author (she related this with what seemed like a mix of pride, embarrassment and irony): she just finished her extensive tour for The King's English, her memoir of bookselling that appeared March.
Through the beginning of December, business at the King's English has been "good," Burton said. Among titles she and the staff are handselling or are doing well:
The March by E.L. Doctorow, "my favorite novel of the year. You can sell it to absolutely everybody. It's for people who love a literary novel, for people who love a good read, for people who love history. It's at the head of the list."
Missing Mom by Joyce Carol Oates, which is "very unusual for her. It's not unusual for her to have a book that's unusual for her, but this is really unusual. It's about two sisters whose mother is brutally slain."
Ash and Bone by John Harvey, "a fine dark English mystery. It's a mystery, not a thriller, and almost as complex as John le Carre or P.D. James. It's like the best of Peter Robinson."
Childhood at Oriol by Michael Burn, "a lovely novel from the '50s set between the world wars that has been reissued by Turtle Point. It's for people who want a quietly beautiful book."
Although Burton is selling the Man Booker winner The Sea by John Banville, she is handselling another novel that she calls very similar to The Sea: it's Rules for Old Men Waiting by Peter Pouncey, which came out this spring. "When people ask for The Sea, I say it's a fine novel but also say have you seen this?" Burton said. "It's having a whole new life this fall."
"A beautiful first novel," Rules for Old Men Waiting is about "a man locked in winter in his house in New England. His wife has just died and he's preparing for death himself. He makes a set of rules to keep up and engage in life. He starts to write a novel. The death of his son is involved, too. It's filled with all the education and information in this man's head. It's just brilliant."
Other important titles:
- On Beauty by Zadie Smith
- Slow Man by J.M. Coetzee
- Rereadings: Seventeen Writers Revisit Books They Love by Anne Fadiman
- The Elements of Style Illustrated, for its "wonderful illustrations."
- Fire Season by Katharine Coles, "a local author."
- The Lightning Keeper by Starling Lawrence
- The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez
Burton's favorite stock stuffers include Case Histories by Kate Atkinson and Banishing Verona by Margot Livesey.
Perhaps most intriguing, Burton is promoting a book this season that won't be out until next year. It's A Strong West Wind by Gail Caldwell, a Boston Globe book editor, about growing up in Texas. "Caldwell has caught the essence of a woman growing up in the West. It's totally enchanting." So Burton is giving gift certificates for the book to "people my age who I think will love this book," whether they are feminists, have a feeling for the West or want to know about the West. "I tell them this book is coming for you later in February," Burton said.