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Michelle Obama to Appear at Politics and Prose

Next Tuesday, May 7, Michelle Obama will be at Washington, D.C.’s Politics and Prose to sign copies of her book American Grown (Crown), which is about the creation of an “edible garden” at the White House, which she began in 2009. This will be the first time a sitting first lady has done a signing at Politics and Prose, the Washington Post reported.

Strict security measures will be taken, including a mandatory in-person security screening prior to the event for all attendees. Obama will only be signing copies of her book, and event attendees must purchase a copy and reserve a wristband.

“We’re thrilled to host Mrs. Obama and to help showcase the extraordinary work she has done with the White House garden and spread her message about the importance of healthy eating and healthy living for all Americans, and especially kids,” Politics and Prose co-owner Lissa Muscatine told the Post.

Jabberwocky Owner to be Honored

Sue Little, owner of Jabberwocky in Newburyport, Massachusetts, will be honored at the city’s annual literary festival for her 41 years of bookselling.

“It’s wonderful,” Little told the Newburyport Current. “It’s a sweet thing for them to do, but nobody really likes listening to people blowing their own horn, but I guess the bookstore has been a big part of the literary scene.”

In 1972, the newly graduated Little would often go into Boston to get enough books to last the week and wonder what it would be like if her own town had a bookstore. Taking matters into her own hands, she opened the store that year, in the midst of downtown reconstruction in the area.

“You could feel something really wonderful was going to happen in Newburyport,” Little told the Current. “And I just ignored the fact that I was a woman and that I was young. It worked, but if you really watched the town, you could feel there were changes coming. And I honestly thought that I could be part of that. It would be perfect.”

The Book House Forced to Relocate

The Book House in St. Louis, Missouri, is being forced to relocate because the store’s historic location, which includes several other properties, is being demolished to create a storage facility, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The company that is building the storage facility is considering several options to preserve the store, including uprooting its 150-year-old home and physically moving it to another location.

Store owner Michelle Barron purchased the store from its original owner in 1986. The Book House has 200,000 books in stock, with another 160,000 in storage.

Powell’s Names Miriam Sontz as New CEO

Last week, Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon, named Miriam Sontz as CEO. Sontz will take over for Emily Powell, who will be transitioning fully into her role as owner. Sontz has worked at Powell’s for 28 years, most recently as COO. She will be heading all aspects of business operations and strategic planning. Emily Powell is the third generation of owners of the company (succeeding her father and her grandfather).