Seeing Business Through the Skylight...

This is the day that I worry about Time Zone Crunch -- my watch has been set to Pacific time for just about 24 hours, but the brain?... So far, so good. And the sting of the hotel wake-up call was completely erased when the radio alarm went off 2 minutes later. (Double alarms are standard operating procedure on the road, no?...) 

The radio waves definitely blew away the mental cobwebs today. The broadcast of public radio's Marketplace Morning Edition concluded with a hometown voice: "commentator and independent bookseller" Kerry Slattery of L.A.'s Skylight Books, which is currently undergoing renovation. Kerry's piece examines just why, in the face of some pretty challenging times for indies, she and her colleagues at Skylight are seeing such great community support and store growth.

Her bottom line conclusion: "More than any other time in recent years, there is a growing national consumer awareness that big may not be better -- both in small towns as well as large cities." Customers are realizing that locally owned, independent businesses give back more economically to their communities, are greener, and help keep vibrant, diverse communities just that -- vibrant and unique!

But, guess what, Kerry says it way better than I do!

And, if you're here at the show, you can visit Skylight tonight. Here's the update:

Skylight Books and City Lights Publishers invite booksellers to a Celebration of Los Angeles Literary Life at Skylight Books in Los Feliz (1818 N. Vermont Ave), from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. City Lights authors David Ulin, Kamau Daaood, Sesshu Foster, Alan Rifkin, Terry Wolverton, and others will join in the celebration.

Directions to Skylight Books from the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel: 10 minutes by car: North one block on Highland to Franklin Avenue; right on Franklin, 2.6 miles; right on Vermont, one block (limited street parking or lot behind store; valet parking 1/2 block south on Melbourne).

Three stops (six minutes) by subway: Take the Hollywood and Highland Metro to the Sunset and Vermont Station; walk four-and-half blocks north to the store.

Posted at 09:41AM May 29, 2008 by Dan Cullen in General  |  Comments[1]