Every year, Chicago is home to several large book fairs, most notably in Printers Row and the Newberry Library. For the consumer, these fairs are usually great for finding inexpensive deals on paperbacks and occasionally a good deal on a rare or collectable book. When I attended the Midwest Antiquarian Booksellers Association 22nd Annual Book Fair this past Sunday, I discovered an entirely different species of book fair.

The first difference I noticed was the entrance fee, which was $6 for adults and $4 for students (or those who could reasonably pass themselves off as students). This is not all that uncommon. I know that many fairs, like the Brandies Book Fair in Skokie, charge a fee to get in a day early.

The second thing I noticed was the selection, which was much narrower than I expected but was, of course, of a much higher general quality. It was immediately clear that this is a place for mint-condition, first edition, signed-by-the-author, sealed-in-air-tight-plastic type books. In this way it was not unlike a museum experience. In fact, several booksellers kept their most prized items in shallow wood cases covered in glass.

The last thing I noticed was the price of these books which I found to be, at times, jaw-dropping. Now to be fair, some of this stuff was extremely rare. Any guess how much a first American edition (1 of 504 printed) of James Joyce’s The Dubliners costs? For me, five months rent. For all I know, $2500 is a steal for something like this but for the average joe, it’s just out of the question. Obviously, this was an extreme case. Most of the books, or at least the books that I am interested in, were good quality, first edition hardcovers. I didn’t really check out any of the leather-bound military history behemoths that were around. Maybe I should have.

At this point in my book collecting career I am only interested in books that I will actually read or books that I have read and I liked so much that I wouldn’t mind owning a nice copy. So as I walked around, I would find an occasional Paul Auster, or Don Delillo, and I would flip open the beautifully preserved cover and find a price, either penciled on the first page or on a small sticker, that was usually between $75 and $85 but could be $125 or and if signed easily over $200. The only thing that I found that was near my price range was a copy of William T. Vollman’s Whores for Gloria for $40 but even that I decided against.

One book that really tempted me was a first edition of Ishmael Reed’s Mumbo-Jumbo, a book that I really love. The cover art on this edition is that sort of early-seventies, dada-esque design that I am just a huge sucker for. I was disappointed to see that it was $75. I remember thinking, can I actually spend this much on a book? I was tempted. I decided to mull it over while I roamed through the rest of the booths. The big questions being: What would I do with such a book? Would I dare read it? Would it just sit on my bookshelf until I die and my grandkids sell it to buy their new fangled jet-packs? However, the real question, and perhaps more philosophical question, is ‘What is the value of a book beyond its words?’

In general, I am a proponent of the books as object theory, which is to say that I enjoy books as physical entities in addition to their contents. For some reason, this becomes harder to justify when the price of a book rises to a certain level. Part of this crisis stems from a feeling that the prices of some of these books feels suspiciously arbitrary. This is similar to the feeling I have about the stock market. What something is worth seems to be based on rumors and gossip and shadowy algorithms I don’t understand. I was slightly concerned that I would go home and find the same book for much less on Alibris or Abebooks.

Anyway, before I left the fair I circled back to take another look the book. Yes, it was a great book in nearly mint condition but I just couldn’t do it. I would say a majority of the buyers and sellers were white men nearing or surpassing retirement age. Perhaps these people have the extra dough to shell out for pricey books but I would say most of us don’t. That said, visiting the fair was a good time and four bucks well spent.

[Note: When I did check the price of similar books online, it turned out that $75 was relatively fair.]

[Hypocritical afterthought: all of this makes less sense when I consider that I probably will have no problem spending $75 on Alan Moore’s new book.]

Partially because I was inspired by Gina Frangello’s post about Literary Communities and partially because I thought I should start writing about them for the site, I have decided to make a serious effort to attend more readings. With that in mind, I headed over to No Exit Cafe on Tuesday night to attend the LitPAC Progressive Reading Series.

I got there a just before the event was scheduled to start and there were just a few people there, including author Stephen Elliott, who would be the host for the evening and is the founder and Executive Director of LitPAC. For those who don’t know about this organization I strongly urge you to go to the website and check it out. Basically, LitPAC is a political action committee that raises money for progressive candidates through literary events.

Tonight’s reading was to raise funds for Tammy Duckworth who is running for Congress in Illinois 6th District. Ms. Duckworth is a veteran of the Iraq War where she was severely injured while co-piloting a Black Hawk helicopter. For more on Tammy please visit her website.

When the room had filled with about 20 or 30 people, Stephen stepped up onstage and made a few introductory remarks about Tammy and about the 2006 election in general. LitPAC is focusing on the Congressional races in order to “win back the congress,” as Stephen put it. He explained that in the many races around the country where Democrats are facing Republican incumbents with big war chests, even the seemingly small amount LitPAC is able to donate can make a huge difference to their campaigns.

The reading kicked off with two poets, first Dan Beachy-Quick who teaches at the Art Institute of Chicago and then Simone Muench who is poetry editor at Another Chicago Magazine. After Stephen read some excerpts from Looking Forward to It, his book about the 2004 election, he introduced Peter Orner who read from his novel The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo. Instead of reading from her bestselling novel, Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger read an unpublished and quite humorous essay about the exhumation and burial of her pet cats. The last author to read, Alexander Hemon, also chose to read from an unpublished work-in-progress instead of his novel Nowhere Man.

In his closing remarks Stephen thanked everybody for coming and reminded us that there was a table filled with books donated by the authors and that for an additional donation (besides the admission charge) we could take one. Inspired by the cause and the great reading, I decided to empty my wallet and I was fortunate to end up with Niffenegger’s beautifully-crafted novel-in-pictures, The Three Inscestuous Sisters. (I walked off feeling like I had not given enough for such a nice book so when I got home I went to the LitPAC site and donated another $20.)

Before Peter Orner read, he praised Stephen for all the work he had done with LitPAC and for “putting his money where his mouth is.” That about sums it up. LitPAC is a very cool organization and I encourage all of you to visit their site and donate ridiculously generous amounts of money immediately.

NOTE: Unfortunately, Under The Table Books had to close its doors. It was a great store and it will be missed.

1443 W. Jarvis
Chicago, IL 60626 (map)
773.743.3728
hours: Wed-Fri 1-8pm, Sat-Sun 12-6pm

“For most Chicagoans, Rogers Park has a mysterious air,” says bookstore owner Julie Marcus. “People are unsure about what’s going on up here so it is difficult to get them to come just a few El stops up to the store.” If this is in fact the case, then people who are reluctant to travel to the Jarvis Red Line stop are missing out on a wonderful little store.

Opening a bookstore was always a dream of Julie’s but it wasn’t until after several years as a corporate lawyer that she decided to make a change. When she saw an ad in the Chicago Reader that a bookstore, Open Brain Books, was for sale, she left the corporate life and isn’t looking back. The store reopened in December of 2004 with the new moniker, Under the Table Books, named for her favorite place to read as a child (under the dinning room table).

The store is extremely well organized with a large fiction section as well as sections devoted to history, biography, philosophy, sociology, sci-fi, romance, Chicago, cooking, and a growing children’s section to supply the many families that live in the residential neighborhood around the store. There is also a shelf dedicated to books by local independent publisher Charles H. Kerr.

Of course, one of the biggest draws to Under The Table is the chance to visit store mascot and permanent employee of the month, Rocky the dog. Rocky is an extremely friendly, well-read, mixed-breed dog that Julie adopted from Chicago Canine Rescue. He is in the store with Julie everyday and sometimes, she admitted, he gets more visitors than she does.

In addition to running the storefront, Julie also has about 1,500 books of her collection available on sites like Alibris and Half.com. Julie explained that selling books online was necessary in order to keep the store open. Though not ideal, she felt that it was good to find new buyers online. “Like all booklovers,” Julie said, “I just want the books to find a good home.”

Under The Table Books is a terrifically charming bookshop that is definitely worth checking out. As an added insentive, Julie will be offering papermustache readers a special discount:

Buy 3 books and get a 4th book (of equal or lesser value) FREE.
Also, petting Rocky is free.

1. Second Skin, by John Hawkes. New Direction Paperback; 2nd Printing, paperback, 1964. ($3.00)
2. The Magic Kingdom, by Stanley Elkin. Dutton Oblesik; paperback, 1986. ($3.00)

In Akron, Ohio another independent bookstore bites the big one because of the opening of a Borders and the store owner seems to accept his fate without too much fuss.

“Borders is a response to customer demand. There’s nothing evil about it, it’s just business,'’ he said.

The article from Akron’s Beacon Journal points to a 2002 study done by Civic Economics concerning the introduction of chain stores into the economy of Austin, TX. The analysis showed that “For every $100 spent at Borders, only $13 makes a local impact, compared to $45 for the same amount spent at a locally owned store.”

The same organization did a similar, more extensive, study in 2004 based on Chicago’s own Andersonville neighborhood.

In a study comparing the economic impact of ten Andersonville businesses and their chain competitors, it was found that:

Locally-owned businesses generate a substantial Local Premium in enhanced economic impact.

• For every $100 in consumer spending with a local firm, $68 remains in the Chicago economy.
• For every $100 in consumer spending with a chain firm, $43 remains in the Chicago economy.

You can’t argue with numbers. You just can’t. Numbers use nunchucks.

Also of interest:

1. Interview with a partner of Civic Economics.
2. The Village Voice covers Laura Miller’s new book, Reluctant Capitalists.
3. Guardian Unlimited’s Stephen Moss on independent bookshops.

[And… for the curious and impatient among you, a new bookstore post will be up by the end of the week soon.]

For some reason, perhaps because of the release of Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption by Laura Miller, many have been chiming in on this debate.

Here’s how things are shaping up so far:

“What Are Independent Bookstores Really Good For? Not much.” By Tyler Cowen

Patronizing indies helps us think we are more literary or more offbeat than is often the case…when it comes to providing simple access to the products you want, the superstores often do a better job of it than the small stores do: Borders and Barnes & Noble negotiate bigger discounts from publishers and have superior computer-driven inventory systems.

“Why Go Independent?” by Corey Mesler

Why shop independent and locally owned when the big-box stores have a better selection? The answer is: to keep your dollars in your community.

“Jessa Crispin Says Quit Griping About Where to Buy Books,” by Jessa Crispin

Insisting that book-buyers’ retailer decision must, or should, be one-or-the-other is hardly realistic. Of course, it does keep the debate alive—infinitely and uselessly.

3125 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657 (map)

Store owner John Flowers hopes to be up and running by the end of May 2006.

Click here for the post about his original location.

4226 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625 (map)
773.593.9166
hours: Mon-Sun 12-6pm,
Sun 12-5pm
store website

Lincoln Square, like so many Chicago neighborhoods, is rapidly changing. New storefronts with their bright illuminated placards seem to be continually either going up or coming down. Amidst this flux there resides a store with comparatively modest signage. Simple and to the point, the small black and white sign above the door reads, “Books.” You may have passed it without noticing but if you have visited, you would surely remember Ravenswood Used Books.

Once inside, tall aisles of densely packed bookshelves give that cozy feeling I like so much about intimate bookstores, namely, being surrounded or perhaps embraced by literature. Though not recommended for the claustrophobic, this shop is one of my favorites in the city.

Proprietor Jim Mall worked as an antiques dealer for 25 years before he decided to turn his Lincoln Ave. warehouse into Ravenswood Used Books and sell books full time. The store has been open for over three years now.

The shop is about half fiction with a smattering of just about every other type of book including drama, history, dance, philosophy, art, and cooking. The store is organized into sections but each section itself is not quite perfectly organized. The fiction collection can be especially difficult to navigate if you are looking for a specific title, but if you just enjoy browsing and getting “lost in the stacks” this is hardly a bother. If you are looking for something in particular, Jim is very friendly and knowledgeable and has a keen recollection of what he has in stock.

On the subject of online bookselling, Jim commented that the internet has changed things dramatically. “It is more difficult for independent bookstores to make a living because it’s much easier for people to shop naked,” Jim said, smiling. “Though I’ve encouraged that in the store, it hasn’t happened yet.”

Jim has generously offered to give papermustache readers the following deal: Buy 4 books and get a 5th book (of equal or lesser value) FREE when you mention papermustache.

1. ZIP: A Novel of the Left and the Right, by Max Apple. The Viking Press; 1st Editon, hardcover, 1978. ($8.00)
2. All-Japan: The Catalogue of Everything Japanese, by Oliver Statler et al. Quill, 1st Edition, softcover, 1984. ($10.00)

Collectors of comics and vinyl have long known the benefits of protecting their prized possessions with mylar sleeves. Why should bibliophiles be any different? If you are going to spend the cash to get that coveted “first ed-ish,” you might as well invest in a book jacket cover. It will protect both the book and the book jacket and make your favorite books look both shiny and fancy. So without further ado, I humbly offer the polyester book jacket cover.

There are a couple different brands but I went with Brodart, which seems to be the industry standard. Visiting the website, you will notice that there are way too many types of covers to choose from. It can be daunting not knowing whether you want lo-luster or super clear, exact-fit or adjustable, sheets or rolls, etc. Brodart has this Guide to Selecting a Book Jacket Cover which does help but if you want to make it easy just do what I did.

I decided to go with the Econo-Fold Adjustable Lo-Luster 1.5 mil 14″ Roll. I chose this type of cover because:

1. I wanted a roll instead of individual sheets because it is less wasteful and I can cut each cover to size.
2. The 14″ roll will cover most books except gigantic art or photo books.
3. Lo-Luster has less glare and is better at covering up imperfections but this was basically an arbitrary choice.
4. 1.5 mil (the thickness) was also a totally arbitrary choice.

Whew! Now that that’s settled let’s protect some books y’all!

All you will need is your Brodart roll, scissors, and your book. (Some claim it is good to have a bone folder handy, which is not a medieval torture device but a long plastic ruler-type thing used to fold the cover. I seem to do okay with my fingers but if the idea of a bone folder turns you on don’t let me stop you.)

Step 1. Remove the book jacket and measure out how much of the roll you will need. Use your scissor to cut this length.

Step 2. Place the book jacket between the clear cover and the paper backing. Line it up all the way to the edge. Make sure the right side is facing out!

Step 3. Flip the jacket cover over and fold the paper back so the crease is just below the book jacket. Then fold the polyester back and try to make as sharp a crease a you can.

Step 4. Take the book and place it on top. Find the fold in the book jacket and bend it back into place. Close the book and do the same on the opposite side.

Step 5. Rock! Now your first edition of Stanley Elkin’s The Living End is ready to party all night long without fear of wear, tear, or depreciation.

Note: It may take a few tries before you get the hang of this but if you stick with it you’ll be a pro in no time.

UPDATE: City Bookshop has moved to:
3125 N. Broadway

1921 W. Irving Park Rd.
Chicago, IL 60613
773.880.8003
hours: Sat 12:30-7:00, Sun 12:30-6:00

Located just one block from the Irving Park CTA Brown line stop, City Bookshop is easy to get to and well worth a visit. The store’s tag line is “used and rare books selected with care” and I found this description apt. Perusing the stacks you will quickly notice that all the books are in very good condition. This is one thing that really sets City Bookshop apart.

On the day I visited owner John Flowers, he was celebrating the shop’s one year anniversary. And by celebrating I mean attending to customers and keeping an eye on the Bears game. I had the oppurtunity to talk with John about his store and how it began. For four years he collected books and stored them in an increasingly cramped apartment. When he felt he had amassed enough titles, he found this storefront on Irving Park Rd. and City Bookshop, Inc. was born.

The content of the store is about half fiction with an area dedicated to books by Chicago authors and about Chicago. Other sections include philosophy, history, sci-fi, mystery, poetry/drama, science, children’s lit., and memoirs. When I asked John about his acquisition process he told me that the response from people in the neighborhood has been very positive and that locals come in often with books to sell and trade.

I asked John about online bookselling and its effect on booksellers like himself. After thinking for a moment he said that he wasn’t really worried because he thinks that readers will always want a place to go and buy books. Part of the reason John started the shop was that he just “liked the feeling of being around books.” Finally he said, “If I had a video rental business, then I would be worried.”

Last November, John invited Chicago-based artist Nadine Y. Nakanishi to exhibit a collection of her paintings. This is the first art exhibition City Bookshop has hosted but it’s a practice John would like to continue.

It must be mentioned that City Bookshop offers an awesome buy 4 books get a 5th book free* deal. This bargain is hard to resist as is but John has been kind enough to offer a special deal for papermustache readers:

For one time only, mention this site and you can buy 2 books and get a 3rd* free!

* = free book must be of lesser or equal value to the books purchased at full price.

Books Purchased:

1. Ask The Dust, by John Fante. Black Sparrow Press; 6th printing, softcover, 1989. ($7.50)
2. The Book Of Illusions, by Paul Auster. Henry Holt and Company; 1st Edition, hardcover, 2002. ($10.00)
3. Borges: A Life, by James Woodall. Basic Books; paperback, 1996. ($7.50)
4. V., by Thomas Pynchon. Vintage U.K. Random House; paperback, 2000. ($6.00)
5. Willard And His Bowling Trophies: A Perverse Mystery, by Richard Brautigan. Simon and Schuster; 1st Edition, hardcover, 1975. ($9.00)