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| Kris Kleindienst | |
The boards of the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association and the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association are presenting Kris Kleindienst, owner of Left Bank Books in St. Louis, Mo., with the 2022 Voice of the Heartland award, given in recognition of individuals and organizations who "uphold the value of independent bookselling and have made a significant contribution to bookselling in the Midwest." The award will be presented to Kleindienst during Heartland Fall Forum in St. Louis on October 12.
The boards said, "For decades Kris has been a leader and advocate for the bookselling community. She has served on regional and national bookselling boards and has been a mentor to future generations of booksellers. Kris is a champion of her local community while being a progressive voice of the underrepresented and historically marginalized communities."
Emily Hall Schroen of Main Street Books, St. Charles, Mo., said in part, "Kris is incredibly deserving of the Voice of the Heartland award. Left Bank Books has been a pillar of St. Louis and the Midwest for over half a century, and Kris is its passionate and forward-thinking leader. She has always been kind and encouraging to me, especially when I was a brand-new bookstore owner nearly a decade ago. She is the reason I am a member of the MIBA board and I aspire to emulate her as a boss, a bookseller, and a business owner. Kris is generous with her time and knowledge and is truly invested in the future of bookselling. She has carried her store through recessions, pandemics, floods, and protests, keeping her neighborhood and her city awash in books all the while."
Johanna Hynes, field sales manager for IPS, PGW, Two Rivers, Ingram Academic, said in part, "Long steered by Kris's activist roots and passionate voice, Left Bank is a vibrant cultural center for St. Louis, and one of the best damn bookstores in the country. With an art section rivaling most museum shops these days, an impressive poetry section, and an entire wall filled with bookseller recommendations, Kris has guided Left Bank to a place of prominence in American arts & letters. Hers was the first store I knew of to create a Black Lives Matter window and reading list, and through the years, I have relied on Kris's voice as one that of vision and insight. Personally, a sales appointment with Kris is equal parts sitting at the foot of a guru and visiting with a friend. She is so invested in her customers and knows her community so well that when she says 'I'll stack it' or 'I have to skip it' I know that this is an informed position.... Hers is a singular, sparkling voice that has helped shape bookselling in this region. We are lucky to count her as our own."
And Shane P. Mullen, event coordinator at Left Bank Books, said, "In the past year plus, Kris has been such an influence on the bookselling community. She has managed to keep our bookstore open through the pandemic, overcoming catastrophic flooding to the store, and recovering from personal health issues. While serving on the board of American Booksellers Association, Kris was a voice for progressive bookstores while fighting book banning in our local community and across the U.S. Our mission has always been about championing underrepresented voices. Kris has encouraged that mission throughout the bookselling community. In Kris's long career as a bookseller, she has helped shape the industry for other independent bookstores fighting for a place in the world."