Literary Excellence. In the Flesh!
With roughly 250 linear feet of shelf space, plus cozy seating for readers and writers, we welcome members of the community to drop in for a mug of tea, a cup of coffee, or a nibble on something from the Bookcase of Baked Deliciousness. Sit a while and write in peace, or browse the items we promote through our distribution catalog, which are available for over-the-counter retail purchase.
The bookstore and café soft-launch in January 2022 and hard-launch in March 2022. During the soft-launch window, product availability will be limited.
Our little bookstore specializes in stuff you won’t find anywhere else — primarily literary journals, small-press titles, and well-curated self-published books. If you can find it at Barnes & Noble, you probably won’t find it here. We aspire to grow the Midwest’s largest collection of literary journals for retail sale, with an emphasis on those high-quality journals that don’t get the exposure they deserve.
Our soft-launch hours of operation are:
- Monday & Tuesday: 10a to 7p
- Wednesday: Closed for retail; available for events.
- Thursday & Friday: 10a to 7p
- Saturday: 10a to 2p
- Sunday: Closed.
Interested in meeting in our space for your writers’ group? Use the Contact Us form to let us know when you normally meet and for how long. Groups of up to six people can work in the café for free, without notice, or groups of up to 10 or 12 can use our conference room (with notice).
Bigger events are welcome, too. Our multipurpose space features plenty of natural light from the skylight and windows. The 25′-by-30′ room can hold up to 60 people comfortably, auditorium-style, for something like a book launch party or poetry reading — or 48 people seated with ample elbow room, four to a six-foot table, banquet style. We allow outside food and beverage, and our building includes a kitchenette and two ensuite restrooms to support your needs.
Space rental is $50/hour, although depending on the event and its sponsors, we may reduce those rates or offer the space for free. We are not a general-purpose event center, so rental fees are not a core part of our business model. As long as an event is aligned to the needs of the local literary community, we’re happy to work with you.
