Avid Bookshop, Athens, Ga., is closing its storefront on Sunday, April 26, but will continue to operate its online stores (avidbookshop.com and bookshop.org), and host occasional events and book clubs at other sites.
Avid Bookshop opened on Prince Street nearly 15 years ago, and opened a second store, in the Five Points neighborhood, in 2016. The original store closed in 2019. The Five Points store relocated last year to a larger space on Barbour Street.
On Facebook, owner Janet Geddis, who founded the store in 2011, explained that her health is "at the heart of this decision: I am burned out and have been for years. Even on my best days, I live with undercurrents of stress and anxiety that drag me down. Until fairly recently, I could muster through, pulling out all the stops to complete even the most dreaded work tasks. That talent has left me. I. am. exhausted."
The decision has resulted in "a modicum of relief in this moment, but mostly grief and no small amount of regret as I recognize the many ideas that can't come to fruition just yet. Through the sadness, I feel proud of myself for making a bold choice to take care of my health and wellbeing. That, in turn, will help me care for Avid. (Incidentally, closing now--before I overwork and grind myself to an even lower point--gives Avid the best shot at coming back in some form someday, if that's what fate has in store.)"
Geddis noted that the decision to close the storefront has been hard because "my ideas are as vibrant as ever, my desires for what Avid could be remain vivid and meaningful. What's especially hard is knowing that, at least for now, I'm bidding farewell to the particularly magical conversations that have continued to make Avid a special place in all its iterations."
She closed the announcement: "I love books. I love Athens. I love you. Thank you for giving me this dream job. It has meant the world to me."