Carl Lennertz, v-p of independent retailing at HarperCollins, waxes nostalgic about St. Louis, whose independents recently joined to form the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance (Shelf Awareness, February 18, 2011) and created an indie bestseller list for the area:
I have to admit I get emotional about St. Louis. No, it's not the arch or Albert Pujols's forearms or the concretes at Ted Drewes, which are the inspiration for St. Louis native Danny Meyer's shakes at New York City's Shake Shack.
No, it's the booksellers, even though I don't know half of them, but I once did, during some halcyon days--which are on their way back in that fine city.
You see, my first rep job was the St. Louis territory for Random House back in, gulp, 1980. My first bookseller friend ever was Joan DeMayo, the manager of Library Ltd. I'd go by the store every Saturday to lick my wounds after a week on the road. Joan, owners Alan and Terry Mittelman, and the whole staff took me in and made me feel at home.
So did Kris Kleindienst and Barry Leibman at Left Bank Books. Barry's retired, the gentle soul, but Kris is going strong as the store celebrates its 42nd birthday later this year!! Kris is one of the coolest booksellers ever.
Sandy Jaffe of Booksource was like a father to me, and a kinder man I do not know.
Paul Schoomer of Paul's Books took me for my first beer (yes, it's true) at Blueberry Hill. On the same street now is Vintage Vinyl--LP heaven (yes, I'm hopeless)--and now, Subterranean Books.
The ladies out in Webster Groves had a beautiful store and they compiled the bestseller list for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a paper that kept a book section going. And now Webster Groves is home to the dynamic duo, Niki Furrer and Melissa Posten of Pudd'nHead Books, active in author events in-store and offsite, just as Left Bank has been for years. BIG events hosted both of them; cool to see. And Vicki Berger Irwin of Main Street Books made our eight-word biography book with "Owning a bookstore, living the dream."
Why do I write you about this now, besides to tell you that you gotta go to St. Louis, for the bbq, revived Lacledes Landing, for Drewes and the Old Rock House (a GREAT folk and blues venue; saw the Subdudes there and danced the entire show; ouch), and for the amazing art museum? Because the bookstores of St. Louis are pulling together, on Facebook, and with a cool new bestseller list! (See below!)
I feel passionately that among the many things we need to cherish and encourage is the regionalism of accents, food, music... and book sales. The more varied the book choices based on local history and voice, the better for all.
For links to many things St. Louis from a Midwest boy-at-heart, go to publishinginsider.