Robin's Books, Philadelphia, Pa., will close December 31, ending "the gradual, graceful withdrawal of a city treasure, not only a business (2,000 square feet for books), but also (1,000 square feet) a community center, activist enclave, performance space, workshop, and networking clearinghouse for poets, teachers, musicians and other artists," the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The fate of Moonstone Arts Center, which is located upstairs, is uncertain as it looks for a new home.
"I've been having trouble persuading people we're really closing," said Paul Hogan, general manager of Robin's. "But it's really true this time. The [second-floor] space has a new tenant. The books will be gone. We have no other place to go."
The bookshop was founded in 1936 by David Robin, grandfather of Moonstone proprietor Larry Robin (in photo above). The Inquirer noted that the "descent was step by step. In 2008, Robin's stopped selling new books, becoming a used-book store and website. In 2009, it moved upstairs with Moonstone. And now...."
"We've kept it going mostly through Larry's stubbornness and commitment to the community," said Hogan. "I've been working without a salary for a long time, and so has Larry. It may be time."
Robin insisted that this is not the end for Moonstone. "Oh, we're going to keep on doing all that. It'll just be decentralized, that's all, at least at first. I'm looking for a new physical space. But we'll keep it all going."
