A biography of Virginia Woolf could be in the biography section, or in our Writers & Writing section, or even next to her fiction in the Fiction section. People on staff may have different ideas about that for the same book. While we do keep books roughly organized by subject matter, our driving motivation is to figure out where to put a book so that its ideal customer is going to run across it while browsing. Unlike libraries, where organizing and shelving of the books is an information science, in bookstores it’s an art. When did you start the depression section, and why? Prior to starting it, where were books about depression shelved? And because my husband, who helped me open the store, has an extensive background in international children’s literature, we also carry children’s books in more than 40 foreign languages. I’m a trained chef and James Beard Award-winning food writer, so as you might expect, our cookbook section is especially extensive. We’re a general interest store, though we do have two specialties. The antiques and oriental rugs give it a homey feeling, and communicate the sense that you’re not necessarily in a place that’s all about Selling You Stuff. People describe it as “European” or “old-fashioned” and part of what they mean by that, I think, is that it doesn’t feel the way most retail spaces today do feel: sanitized, pre-packaged, homogenized.
BOOKENDS AND BEGINNINGS FULL
What differentiates Bookends & Beginnings from other independent bookstores?įor one thing, it’s the physical space we’re in: This old garage down an unassuming alleyway is full of rustic charm. Via email, Barrett told me about the origins of the store’s depression section, how books are selected for it, and why sales figures aren’t paramount when it comes to these mental health titles. Also related to mental health, Bookends and Beginnings will discuss anxiety at its next Very Short Introductions Book Club on May 28. Armstrong, creator of the blog dooce, as well as Mary Cregan’s The Scar: A Personal History of Depression and Recovery, Daphne Merkin’s This Close to Happy: Reckoning with Depression, among other titles. In late April, the depression section featured several memoirs, including the recent release The Valedictorian of Being Dead: The True Story of Dying Ten Times to Live by Heather B. Department of Health and Human Services states that one in five Americans experienced a mental health issue in 2014, it seemed fitting to find out more about the bookstore’s depression section, which is featured prominently at the top of one of its bookcases. Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the U.S. Other faves include Grist by Abra Berens, Black Food by Bryant Terry, Korean Vegan by Joanne Lee Molinaro, Instantly Mediterranean by our own Emily Paster and, of course, the new Dorie Greenspan book, Baking with Dorie. Many of the appetizers on her amazing buffet are included in these books … Everything Bagel Rugelach from Jake Cohen’s jew-ish, Smashed Peas with Tahini and Za’atar from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, and Cacio e Pepe Shortbread from Jesse Szewczyk’s Cookies to name a few. She even gave us a peak at Modernist Pizza, a 3-volume set of all-things-pizza, including over 1,000 recipes, stunning photography and even a red stainless steel case!ĭelving deeper into our favorite things – cookbooks – Julie Chernoff gave us a sneak-peak of the soon-to-be-published list (on ) of her favorite cookbooks of 2021. To the group, she provided a run-down of her favorite reads of the year including fiction, non-fiction and children’s books. Nina, in characteristic form, not only sells stories, she tells stories! One on one, she shared a plethora of interesting anecdotes and updates on her business. Nina graciously opened her store after hours to Chicago Dames who enjoyed quite an evening.Ī gorgeous and oh-so-delicious appetizer buffet was generously provided by Dame Julie Chernoff, alongside a top-notch selection of wines courtesy of Dame Veronica Hastings.
Books were on tap on a recent Thursday evening at Bookends and Beginnings, the independent bookstore in Evanston owned by Dame Nina Barrett.
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