week two: a whole lotta history.

Mar 6

You can find my “Week One” post here.

Our arrival in NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, marked the beginning of a brief resting period. This was the first place I would be stopping for as long as four days. Although the nature of my project meant I would have to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, I was excited for the opportunity to take a breather and soak in my surroundings a bit more. You can’t really get to know a place in a day. Well, you can’t really get to know a place in four days either, but I was going to try my best. That’s when I paused and reminded myself,

“Hey. This doesn’t have to be your last time here.”

I didn’t need to pack in everything on this trip. It was okay to grow an attachment to a place and accept that if it was meant to be, I would return at some point later in life. This wasn’t my mantra for Nashville in particular, but just something I kept in mind during the whole project.

The morning after we arrived in Nashville, I dropped Jennings off at the Country Music Hall of Fame, where he went on about hoping to somehow run into Dolly Parton during his time there. I love some Dolly, but I wasn’t an avid fan of country music—not enough to pay money to tour a place devoted to the genre—so I took some time to just walk downtown. I thought Broadway was bustling during the day, so you can imagine my disbelief when I returned during the chaos of the night. But again, it was nice to just exist in a place where the energy of the people was high and people were enjoying themselves. I saw many of those trollies where everyone gets to sit and contribute to pedaling their way through a tour of the sights while sipping beers. The honkytonks and large murals everywhere provided an explosion of color that drew my eyes rapidly from one attraction to the next. Something about the clear appreciation of art—whether that was music or visual—just made me feel welcome in this city. It was like someone on every corner was just saying, “Hey! Come listen to my song, and sing along if you like.”

Coincidentally, my friend Will, from Charlotte—who I’d just seen a few days ago—was also in Nashville. We caught up over lunch at the Assembly Food Hall, and I thought a lot about how it felt to just be meeting my friends so far from home. It gave me a feeling of continuity across an unfamiliar landscape, the same feeling Jennings’ company provided. I felt supported—anchored. This journey had already taken me far, but I wouldn’t be stumbling or feeling out of place. After enjoying some live music at the food hall, Jennings and I met up with one of his friends, Isabel, and walked around 12 South—a community with countless little shops and eateries. We decided to wind down our day after that, and I decided to finally take care of that camera problem I had run into at Foggy Pine in Boone. After a quick trip to Best Buy, I had a tripod that was compatible with my camera again. I was ready for my next interview.

The next morning, we stopped at the Grand Old Opry—or the gift shop, rather—on our way to the interview. I wasn’t aware of this venue, but walking into the gift shop hit me with a wave, bombarding me with history. It was truly incredible to see the posters of all of the country artists who had performed there over the decades. Admittedly, due to my interest in graphic design, I spent a lot of time just admiring the posters from that perspective. But Jennings made sure to play country music in the car—we were in Nashville after all, and I was all about learning something new. His playlist was rather educating and even a bit enjoyable. Don’t completely knock country music, folks—there’s a time and place for truly everything. The next thing I knew, Parnassus Books brought me back into the grind of the project.

Parnassus Books

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Enter Parnassus. Home of the Muses. Located in the “Athens of the South.” Co-founded by Ann Patchett—author of works such as Bel Canto, State of Wonder, and Commonwealth—and Karen Hayes, Parnassus is a general interest bookstore offering new titles and a beautiful, family-oriented space to shop in for locals and tourists alike.

My first impression of the store was that I was immediately attracted to its size and layout. I found myself naturally drifting from one section to another, noticing the little personal touches staff had put in place. I found myself at a stage where I was sure author events must’ve taken place before the pandemic and the children’s section just oozed magic, under a galaxy of warm, bright stars hanging from the ceiling.

The store engages and impacts the community in many little ways—whether that’s partnering with schools and libraries, or with Humanities Tennessee and the Southern Book Festival, or nonprofits like Book’em. And, of course, Parnassus is key in bringing notable authors and celebrities to town for signings with lines around the building, including Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, John Prine, George Saunders, and many, many more.

The pandemic called for small businesses to crank up their creativity when it came to figuring out ways to keep business rolling, and Parnassus rose to that challenge as well. They started something called “Laydown Diaries” in which Ann Patchett would talk about upcoming books, which rose in popularity and boosted online sales. Unfortunately, the pandemic era saw other hardships across the United States.

“We’ve got customers across the country,” Karen said, “but we also—when George Floyd was murdered—the people started buying books on racism and anti-racism.” Parnassus decided to take profits made from the top books in those categories and gave them to a local organization involved with social justice for African-American communities.

How would you describe this bookstore in one word?

“Welcoming. Welcoming is the word that I would use.”

As I parted from Parnassus, Karen left me with a message not just about indie bookstores, but all small businesses. “What I say to people is that you should support independent businesses, period,” Karen said.

“They’re what make your local community unique. If they aren't around your city is going to look just like any other city. It's going to be all Amazon deliveries and maybe some big box stores that might survive Amazon. I mean, you should support your, your local businesses, who pay the taxes locally, who hire locally, who buy things from local vendors, you know, that that support that, like we do, the independent institutions and nonprofits in the city through fundraisers and things like that. Support your independent businesses.”

Karen was recommending…

After having spent some time in Nashville—and after my conversation with Karen—I could see why Nashville was called “the Athens of the South.” I decided to spend the rest of the day without a structured plan. I dropped Jennings off at a trail he had spotted and took off to the nearest Planet Fitness, where I spent maybe 40 minutes on a treadmill. Mind you, this was my first time at the gym in years, and I had gotten a membership in case I ever needed access to a shower while on the road. But it felt nice to just decompress after a busy few days. It was also important that Jennings and I had our own time to relax separately because we were spending so much time together in general. Afterward, we grabbed dinner at Prince’s Hot Chicken, the birthplace of the famous Nashville dish, and called it a night after our delicious meal. I love spicy food, but my body can’t tolerate it anymore, so I suffered later that night. Oh well.

*A statue of Athena at the Parthenon in Nashville, TN. Imagine my surprise when I saw it looked different from how it was in the* Percy Jackson movie.

The next day was our last in Nashville. We had breakfast at The Loveless Cafe, walked around downtown, and strolled through the Parthenon and Centennial Park. The following morning, we made our way to the next destination, making some stops in MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, first. It was consistently drizzling that morning as we wandered through the Memphis Zoo, and there weren’t that many people around, so there was an eerie feeling lingering in the air. I hadn’t been to a zoo since I was a child, so I felt like a child again. Plus, I saw a capybara for the first time, so my day was made.

A quick stop at the Bass Pro Shop Pyramid, a quick dip into Arkansas—just so I could say to myself that I had been in Arkansas—a lunch at Central Barbeque, and a photo in front of Elvis Presley’s estate, Graceland, wrapped up our time in the area. Before we left, though, I had noticed a bookstore. Naturally, we had to go in. I had to admit, Burke’s Book Store was probably the oldest bookstore I’d ever been in. Having been founded in 1875, the family business had lived through countless significant historical events, and the space reflected that. I was glad to have run into the store by happenstance. We arrived in OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI, later that evening, where my friend Clark’s brother, Matt, graciously hosted us for the night.

The next day was a little insane. Jennings and I had a big, bad breakfast at Big Bad Breakfast before the interview at Square Books.

Square Books

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI

An iconic, historic institution located in Oxford, Mississippi, Square Books was opened in 1979 and offers a wide variety of books across four spaces—the main Square Books store; Off Square Books, featuring lifestyle and leisure books; Square Books, Jr., the children’s bookstore; and Rare Square Books with the collectible items. This bookstore had been recommended to me by friends a few times, and I had the wonderful opportunity of getting to speak with co-founder Richard Howorth and the general manager, Lynn Roberts. I was so grateful that they made the time to give me space and chat with me.

Jennings and I took our time in each store, especially the main one. Square Books was evidently cemented into the history of the community. Countless photographs of authors who had visited the store covered the walls. This area is well-known by many as the home of William Faulkner, and the real-world counterpart to his fictional country of Yoknapatawpha. The store has a long history of engaging the community, especially the authors and readers; Square was one of the co-founders and organizers of the Oxford Conference of the Book, an annual conference for people in the book industry, held in partnership with the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. They also participate in the Faulkner Conference.

Additionally, Square Books co-founded Thacker Mountain Radio, a radio show combining a passion for music with literature, over two decades ago—and it’s still running today! I found this to be a very unique way to engage the local community; they teach us in media and journalism school that radio isn’t a platform many people use as much anymore, but it’s always been a way to feel genuinely connected with local folks and happenings.

How would you describe this bookstore in one word?

“You know, independent obviously comes to mind,” Richard said. “I like to think, pure… though that’s an ideal more than it is a reality, I think.”

Square Books generally holds close to 150 events a year—of course, the pandemic shifted many things around. But Square still offers a place where everyone of any interest can find something they love.

Richard and Lynn recommended…

“If you visit the different bookstores, they all have really, really different personalities,” said Lynn Roberts, the general manager. “You’re over here and we’ve got coffee, and oriental carpets, and old wood, and then you go to Square Books, Jr. and it’s like some sort of bomb exploded of color and noise and chaos… but the manager over there basically grew up, sort of grew up coming to Square Books and has been working there since he was a teenager, and so… That’s kind of wonderful to see, kind of helping… foster that love of reading and books and… not to sound too hi-fi, but personal growth.”

There was a reason that multiple folks told me I had to visit Square Books for this project, and the reason was clear upon entry. If you pay attention, and glance around at the photos on the walls, or the art and sculptures, or the furniture, or step onto the balcony and look at the square… you see faces staring right back at you. Faces with stories dating back decades. And it’s comforting to see these bookstores still packed with customers.

“I think there’s good days ahead for independent bookstores…” Richard said.

I think you’re right, Richard.

*Just lounging around at Lemuria, in Jackson, MI.*

After a refreshing interview, Richard suggested we check out Lemuria Books in JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI. How could I refuse? He connected us with the owner there, but we weren’t quite done with Oxford yet. Bookheads know that William Faulkner’s fictional county of Yoknapatawpha was inspired by the very place we were in. Fortunately, I had a bookhead with me. After some final strolling in the square, Jennings and I found ourselves at Rowan Oak, the house of Faulkner. Well, it actually took us a minute, because the directions pointed us elsewhere, but we eventually made it to the endearing property tucked into the peaceful woods of Oxford. Moments like that were really what this project was about—understanding the communities I was visiting and what they valued.

Adding Jackson to our route wasn’t going to be a problem at all. In fact, we were planning on camping along the Natchez Trace Parkway that night in my comfortable two-person tent, so the detour wouldn’t add too much travel time. After we arrived at Lemuria, I was pretty excited about my interview and grateful to Richard for connecting us so quickly. We set up quickly in the back so we could have some quality time in the store after, grab food, and make it to the campsite before it got dark.

Lemuria Books

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

Owned by John Evans, a bookseller with almost five decades of experience, Lemuria Books offers a place for a community of readers to congregate in Jackson, Mississippi. Originally run out of an apartment, Lemuria is now a much larger space—showcasing a beautiful exterior with a large, statement art piece and a beautiful logo—with ample selections of primarily new books, a longstanding first editions business, cozy seating, and a dedicated room for young readers.

It wasn’t a library, but I wanted to just grab a book and plop down on a couch as time passed outside.

“I wanted to be what I would call an antique and a new furniture store, but in the book business, where you feature out-of-prints, first editions, paperbacks, hardbacks, and have them all together,” John said. According to him, Lemuria was a product of the counterculture movement, focused on rewarding readers with excellent literature.

“It's a mythic civilization that existed before Atlantis,” John said when I asked him what the name of the store meant. “And… I didn't want to call it John's Occult Bookstore. And… I didn’t want to call it Counterculture Paradise, or whatever. So, I came up with the word Lemuria, which was the earliest reference I could find in occult myth to the creative processes of transferring thoughts through symbols and music.”

How would you describe this bookstore in one word?

“I guess I would say it’s… Jackson, Mississippi… It's very much part of the neighborhood I grew up in. I grew up on the street, it's about maybe a mile from here.”

John recommended…

Lemuria serves a very special community, unique because of its literary heritage, well-known for William Faulkner and Eudora Welty—a friend of the store who used to come in often. John has worked hard over the years to establish his store as a home for quality writers and brings as many of those writers to his store as a way of giving back to the community. “I think it's really important for a bookseller and a local bookstore to be part of their community,” John said to me, an idea I felt was extremely relevant to my project and its purpose.

Over the years, John has brought writers from all over the nation to Jackson through the Mississippi Book Festival. In 2019, around 150 authors and over 10,000 folks gathered for the festival.

“I'm really quite proud of all the friends—many of them have passed away—that the bookstore has been able to develop,” said John. “They felt like part of the bookstore, they would come here and read and talk about their books and tell their friends and… it's kind of the domino effect of building a following for writers.”

Although Lemuria cut down on hours during the pandemic, the employees found fun and creative ways to continue bookselling and engaged in curbside pickup. They’ve managed to stay strong through all of this because they are invested in their community—and I’m sure they plan on staying that way.

It got very dark just minutes after we were done setting up camp. With no energy to read or scroll on my phone, the impact of the number of things that had happened in one day hit me, and I swiftly fell asleep, thinking about the people I had met. It hadn’t taken me long to understand that those bookstores meant a lot to the people of Oxford and Jackson folks throughout the decades. I’m sure they’ll continue to.

The week was almost over, and I’d be spending the home stretch in another place I’d always wanted to visit—NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. As we had listened to country music on our way to—and around—Tennessee, we decided to listen to Interview with a Vampire, by Anne Rice, as a fun way to get even more excited about NOLA, in our own nerdy way. Stopping at a very roomy Airbnb, taking the form of a charming—and maybe a bit ominous—house in GARYVILLE, LOUISIANA we freshened up and proceeded to New Orleans. On a Friday evening. In a car. I realized I should hop out on Bourbon St. when I noticed our car wasn’t moving anywhere due to the narrow traffic lanes and crowds of jaywalkers. As Jennings went to find parking, I slithered through the crowds of folks celebrating with booze on the streets and streetcorner musicians playing live instruments with the merriest of souls.

Faulkner House Books

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

In NOLA I found the smallest bookstore I had been to—ever. But so much charm concentrated in a small space was powerful. Faulkner House Books is a must-see stop for plenty of reasons. Whether you’re interested in its history—serving as a temporary residence for American author William Faulkner—or just its thoughtful curation of books, you’ll immediately find something to love about this place. And then, of course, there is Joanne Seeley. Joanne doesn’t have any space for junk in her store—there simply isn’t enough space. Having read everything the bookstore holds, you’re essentially guaranteed to walk out of the store with a good book in hand.

Joanne let a few people into the space at a time, and I patiently browsed as I waited for the store to close. We chatted and she got to know me a bit better as she closed up and I pretty quickly deduced why Joanne felt so familiar. She had a quick wit and a kind smile that I had only seen in high-school English teachers. And I was always the type to stick around the English teacher’s class. I could’ve listened to her chat for hours, as she explained to me how her store worked.

Joanne reccommended…

“I'm very organized,” said Joanne. “I know where everything is because I put it there.” And boy, is it a sight to see. At the time of the interview, the bookstore was only allowing four people in at a time, so you might have to wait on a busy day. The walls are lined with bookshelves, a table in the center featured some beautiful covers, and another two cases featured exclusively poetry. It wasn’t overwhelming. The idea of wandering a bookstore for hours sounds pleasing, sure. But ultimately, you want to walk out of there satisfied and with a book, right?

How would you describe this bookstore in one word?

“Charming… and also, the other, the major word is literary.”

The pandemic saw some significant changes to operations for bookstores around the country. Although they hadn’t been able to hold events during the pandemic, Faulkner House would invite authors for book signings at other, larger venues. The former owners had a literary society and writing contests. The store shipped books all over the country during the pandemic, but community-wise, they’re a bit isolated. And that’s okay. What they lack in square footage or events at the moment, they more than makeup for in quality of experience, in the form of an intimate space well-equipped with a bookseller who is invested in making sure you find what you’re looking for, when you’re looking for it.

Now, it’s true that everyone doesn’t desire the same experience when it comes to book-buying. New Orleans has many bookstores to choose from. “We don't feel as if we're in competition with each other,” said Joanne. We each have our charms,” And it was true—I visited a few other bookstores in the area, and each of them offered a distinct vibe. But there was a reason that Faulkner House books kept popping up as a prominent name in research. And they’ve never paid a dime in advertising. That’s how valuable the personal touch Faulkner House brings to its customers is. The bookstore also offers a subscription service working off of a complete dossier on a customer and their reading interests. You can find more information about that on their website.

“I think we manage simply because it's such a personal thing,” Joanne said. “I think the personal is… everything. You know, anybody can do an algorithm, but the algorithm that I use, it's in my head.”

I would have loved to stay in New Orleans for a bit longer, but my time there was incredibly enjoyable. You run into so many people in the course of a day in a busy place like NOLA, and then suddenly they aren’t in your life anymore. It’s bizarre and beautiful, and it’s those little, random connections that made this journey all the more meaningful. Two exciting young women and I got to know each other very quickly on Bourbon St. and even in the middle of the night, their interest in my project reinvigorated me with excitement, and they even suggested I download an app—Atlas Obscura—to stop at some of the more hidden gems along my route. I don’t know if you’ll ever see this, but meeting you was a treat, Maggie and Angelica. The next day, Jennings and I toured the Garden District, pausing at The Garden District Bookshop for a moment. After we oggled at the lovely, expensive homes, and wandered Tulane University, we returned downtown, to the one and only Cafe du Monde. Jennings had been to the city before with the band during the 2022 UNC Final Four games. I felt like I had my own personal tour guide.

I had a delicious frozen coffee and some beignets, making sure to pack some for my friends, Rosie and Cisco, whom I’d be staying with next. On our way out of New Orleans, we stopped at Arcadian Books & Prints—a small shop with treasures and ceiling-high stacks of books. Someone at Crescent City Books (jokingly?) told me those stacks contributed to Arcadian’s architectural integrity, and I absolutely believed him. I also bought a copy of Interview with a Vampire. Admittedly, I had slept through a chunk of the audiobook on the way to NOLA.

And that was okay. I’m sure reading a book I remember buying in New Orleans will make for a more valuable experience.

This week’s food for thought

“…And as, you know, you want to do everything you can for literacy, I think... And so that's been a very rewarding thing in the last few years—bringing national writers, in the early 80s, to Jackson, Mississippi, to read in the community… I think was really important to make the, the physical book come alive and that's one of the theories that I've always had, is that you, if you can make the book come alive with the author, that the author reads to the community, the voices become more circulated, people become more involved, and you have a better life for the book. “The book stands up,” as the way I like to say it. It becomes something that's alive in the bookstore. It's not just a bookseller… the book becomes real. It becomes a real experience, which then fulfills the browsing experience and fulfills the reader’s experience because it's… indulged in another dimension, so to say.”