"There was a general feeling of love, like a family reunion. We had 10 writers and 10 poets. Poets like Tongo Eisen-Martin came out from Detroit to give a reading, DJ Nickie Sol played and we sold a ton of books. It was amazing. Now, we have the good problem of filling the shelves back up."
"The bookshop launched by the husband-and-husband team bears all the vestiges of the couple's deep immersion in literature and enthusiasm for wide-ranging, community-centered cultural events. The store offers people the rare opportunity to propose events that include but also stretch beyond standard book launches and author talks."
"People send proposals to our website, then we have back-and-forth conversations, and events like 'Real Talk' come out of it. The community-led model is also a blessing, according to Fowler."
Nomadic Bookshop, founded by husband-and-husband team J. K. Fowler and Uriel Landa, opened in Oakland's Uptown area with a successful three-hour launch event attended by nearly 400 people. The bookstore features a community-centered model where patrons can propose events beyond traditional book launches and author talks. Most events are free or pay-what-you-can, including open-mic conversations, grief workshops, and poetry classes. Fowler, who previously founded Nomadic Press and published over 100 titles, plans to publish approximately four new books annually by local writers. Landa manages the extensive events calendar while Fowler curates the book selection and serves as executive director of the Bay Area Book Festival. The community-led proposal model allows residents to shape the bookstore's cultural programming.
#independent-bookstore #community-events #oakland-culture #literary-publishing #community-centered-business
Read at East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda
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