Hello, beloved subscriber to either Kate Harding’s Feminism & Dogs or Jarvis Square Books! It’s me, Kate! I’m opening a bookstore! TODAY. 11-6. 1522 W. Jarvis Ave., Chicago.

There is so much I want to say about how I got here, but that will have to wait. For now, I’ll just tell you that when the store manager, Michael, and I started talking about taking this leap, we immediately agreed on one thing: We want to sell books for readers. 

What do we mean by that? Well:

Books for Readers: A Manifesto

We sell books for readers, and we swear, that’s not a tautology. We aim to sell the kind of books that excite grown-up library kids, proud nerds, scholars, autodidacts, emo teens, aging hippies, storytellers, and secret poets. In other words: Rogers Park.(Michael wants me to acknowledge that other neighborhoods exist and also contain people we would like. FINE. -KH)

We sell books for readers, as opposed to collectors. If you’re looking for rare and antiquarian books, the folks at Uncharted are lovely, and you should tell them we said hi. Our used books are nearly all under $10, and most are under $6.

We sell books for readers, as opposed to snobs. We carry academic and avant garde work when it captures our imaginations—which is often enough—but never just for the sake of looking cool. As a neighborhood bookshop, we’d always rather be warm than cool. 

We sell books for readers, as opposed to all-day browsers. We love a good browse and hope you’ll find something unexpected every time you visit! Given the size of the store, though, we’re more gallery-like than maze-like. If you want that classic, labyrinthine used bookstore experience, Armadillo’s Pillow is right here in Rogers Park, and Heirloom Books very nearly is. 

We sell books for readers, as opposed to people who buy the buzziest books but never crack the spines. Listen, we don’t judge. We’ve got a few uncracked spines on our own shelves, and we know things are often popular for a good reason! But we’d rather maintain our distinct point of view and send you to one of Chicago’s many other terrific indies for the things they do better. (Of course, if you want to spend all your book money with us, we won’t say no! You can always order new books in the store or through our Bookshop storefront.)

We sell books for readers, as opposed to future readers. We love kids, and they’re very welcome in the store, but children’s literature is just not our wheelhouse. We carry a small selection of used children’s books, all priced at $2, but Women & Children First, Booked, and Bookends & Beginnings all do kids’ books so much better than we ever could. 

We sell books for readers, which includes listeners. There are a ton of good reasons for choosing audiobooks, from disability to personal preference, and Libro.fm makes it possible to buy them and support your favorite indie. ::bats eyelashes:: 

We sell books for readers, because that’s what we are. We simply love independent bookstores and hope you’ll love ours. 

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I hope we’ll get to see you today, but if you can’t make it in to the store, you can try again (almost) any Tuesday through Saturday, 11-6. Eventually, we’ll have a fancy* grand opening, and be open on Sundays. Watch this space—or our Instagram or Facebook—for updates.

See you soon!

Kate

*There will be cheese, maybe?