Kellie Artis is the founder of Bound & Vine, a community-focused book and wine bar. As a military spouse who has navigated the joys and challenges of military family life for over two decades alongside her husband Andrew — who is soon retiring after more than 20 years with the US Army — Kellie is a passionate advocate for creating spaces that empower and connect people. Inspired by experiences in diverse military communities, her vision for Bound & Vine is to build a welcoming sanctuary where strong bonds are formed over books, wine, and meaningful conversation.
Kellie’s work is deeply influenced by her commitment to personal growth and her desire to foster genuine connections. A scholar of the George W. Bush Institute Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, she has dedicated her career to empowering high-achieving women. Now rooted in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with Andrew, their two kids, and two dogs, Kellie is building a legacy of inclusivity and warmth — creating a place where everyone can find a little piece of themselves and feel they truly belong.
Artis sat down with ABA's Associate Director of American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE), Philomena Polefrone, to talk about her advocacy efforts and her new bookstore.
You have been an outspoken advocate for military families. Can you talk about what it means to you to be part of a military family?
Military families are the backbone of the military and key to our ability as a nation to continue to have the strongest professional military in the world. Our All Volunteer Force is composed of people from all walks of life, and all who have chosen service over self. And though they aren’t issued families — as Lieutenant General Chesty Puller (USMC) once famously pronounced — they often come with one or grow one along the way.
Being able to support my husband through the entirety of his 22+ year career in the US Army is one of my proudest accomplishments. Military life is certainly not for the faint of heart, and the sacrifices that military families make in service to our country are profound. But balance is found in the amazing communities we build and find along the way, the grit we (and especially our kids) develop, and the adaptability, resourcefulness, and tenacity we pick up as character traits are hallmarks of the challenges we endure. Most of all though, we’re afforded the opportunity to support those who are directly responsible for protecting the freedoms that we hold dear as Americans.
All that said, military families are often “resilient” to a fault. There is much advocacy to be done in the space of supporting military families, particularly around things like food insecurity (1-in-5 military families struggle to put nutritious food on their tables), spouse unemployment struggles (at rates consistently around 20-24%), financial hardships due to challenging relocations (moving to high cost of living areas on one income, losing employment due to the move, or incurring an average of $5,000 out of pocket expenses per move). While the impacts of military life, both positive and negative, on families is well documented, surveyed, and reported on, policy efforts often fall short of lasting. Advocating for these families, my community, is something that I’m passionate about and eager to contribute to in order to continue to make things better for families that serve once our time in service has concluded.
What was your path to bookselling like? What parts of this industry have surprised you, if any?
My path to bookselling has been a relatively short one. Some people dream of opening a bookshop, but I never really had the luxury of “dreaming” of a brick and mortar anything due to the ever looming chance of a PCS (Permanent Change of Station). Last fall, my husband made the decision to retire from the military and we decided as a family to stay in the city adjacent to our current duty station. Those two cogs falling into place unlocked a whole compartment in my brain (heart?) that allowed me to apply a different type of curiosity to what I was so envious of scrolling #Bookstagram. I used to see all these amazing spaces on social media in other cities and pine about not having something like that where we’re stationed. When we decided to stay in Fayetteville, the mindset shifted to “maybe I should create that for our community.”
So, I fielded an interest survey in November last year that confirmed the community support for the concept, and started researching. I attended Winter Institute in February, hosted popups during the Spring and Summer, attended the New Voices New Rooms conference, networked my behind off, put together a business plan, found a space, and am a now couple of weeks out from opening our bookstore + wine bar in Downtown Fayetteville — to coincide nicely with Military Family Appreciation Month (November).
You are one of the organizers of Military Families for Free Expression, a group raising awareness about and advocating against book bans impacting military families. Why did this group form, and what are its goals? Are there any recent developments folks should know about?
Military Families for Free Expression (MFFE) is a coalition of military-connected families standing up against censorship and book bans. We are a non-partisan effort grounded in the freedoms protected by those in uniform.
Earlier this year, in response to executive orders eliminating DEI efforts across federal agencies, the Department of Defense began removing books from DODEA libraries, books that reflect diverse perspectives, important lived experiences, and critical social issues. In May, a DoD directive was pushed out establishing the “Committee for Reviewing the Department's Military Educational Institution Library Collections.”
As military families, we know firsthand the importance of protecting the freedoms our service members swear to defend — including the freedom to read, learn, and access information without censorship. Our children have a right, protected by their parents in uniform, to explore a wide range of resources as they grow into informed citizens. Servicemembers are also entitled to robust, well-rounded education through military academies, war colleges, and professional development programs. Limiting access to a full spectrum of ideas undermines their intellectual readiness and strategic thinking, both of which are essential to national security.
We are taking a stand because these book bans are not just about titles; they are about erasing identities, silencing dialogue, and undermining the very democratic values our families serve to uphold. By organizing through education, empowerment, and collective action, Military Families for Free Expression (MFFE) is working to ensure that our libraries remain places of inclusion, inquiry, and truth.
Since MFFE formed in May, we’ve launched multiple efforts spanning op-eds and press features, local events in partnership with indie bookstores and advocacy groups, and virtual convenings for military families to learn more about what they can do at an installation level. We’ve partnered with the Right To Read Working Group, ABFE, ACLU, and several legislators' offices, and our efforts have been highlighted in news outlets.
Who should get involved in Military Families for Free Expression, and what is the best way to do so?
The best way to plug in and support MFFE is to visit our substack: mffe.substack.com. You’ll find ways to sign up, and there’s a form specifically for booksellers to partner with us to host activations near military installations. We are growing our network of military-connected librarians, bookstore owners, and authors and would love to invite you to join the effort!
Finally: your store, Bound & Vine, is about to open its brick-and-mortar store! It must be a stressful and exciting time. How’s it going?
It’s going! We have completed a modest build out, have mostly moved in and are now working away at shelving books and organizing the shop to be a welcoming oasis for those seeking a respite from the craziness of the world. We are hosting our first event on November 15 sponsored by Military Families Magazine featuring a military spouse author (and dear friend of mine), Jen Barnhill. Her book, The Military Stories You’ve Been Told, And the Ones You Need to Hear, is a must read for anyone looking to more deeply understand what it means to be a military family — and more importantly, what we can do to support these incredible families.