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Norman Visits "Socially Responsible" Phoenix Books
Howard Norman (center) with Phoenix Books co-owners Renee Reiner and Mike DeSanto

Phoenix Books in Essex, Vermont, was one of author Howard Norman's stops on his tour promoting his new book, What Is Left the Daughter. "A rapt audience listened to Norman read in Phoenix's intimate cafe, and the discussion that followed lasted well into the evening," said bookseller Kristen Eaton.

The three-year-old store was founded "on the principles of social responsibility, community, and sustainability," Eaton explained.

Series on Bookstore Owners Opens With Evans and Madan

In the first installment in a series on bookstore owners, Christian Science Monitor book editor Marjorie Kehe has profiled Booksmith owners Christin Evans and Pradeen Madan, who bought the store in 2007. Evans and Madan had worked as consultants before making the switch to bookselling.

"People that know us describe us as a great team. We're very complementary. Certainly we were workaholics before in our old life, but now we're workaholics and we're working on something that we're very passionate about and enjoy working on together," said Evans in the article.

Kehe followed her post on Evans and Madan with interviews with An Open Book owner Ann Lacefield and Boswell Book Company owner Daniel Goldin.

Harding Calls Filgate "Patron Saint" of Bookselling

In an interview with Seacoastonline.com, Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Harding (Tinkers, Bellevue Literary Press) singled out RiverRun Bookstore events coordinator Michele Filgate, one of the early champions of his book.

"Michele is just remarkable. She's one of the patron saints of the book world. She really extended herself and had me go up to RiverRun long before the award. I'm forever in her debt. She's an independent bookseller and despite rumors to the contrary, there are still an amazing amount of readers out there who read Tinkers — It's not beach reading — and people are finding out about it through people like Michele. She has a wide tastes in books, and she's incredibly inclusive. She's out there reading everything for us," Harding said.

BTW previously wrote about the role Filgate and other independent booksellers played in bringing Tinkers to national attention.

Ramsdell Discusses Galaxy Bookstore With WCAX

Galaxy Bookshop was the latest Vermont business featured in WCAX television's Independent Spirit series. Galaxy owner Linda Ramsdell led WCAX reporter Kristin Carlson on a tour of the store. In the segment, Ramsdell said, "I still love coming to work every day. And it's still a real exciting business because new books come out every day and that's really exciting."

Baristanet Pays a Visit to Words

Baristanet, a New Jersey hyperlocal news website, celebrated the fact that it had added the town of Maplewood to its coverage by paying a visit to Maplewood's independent bookstore, Words.

Bookseller Laurie Alvandian shared some of the store's bestsellers, including Cutting for Stone and Let the Great World Spin.