Why we love Storyhouse Bookpub in Des Moines: A look inside the cozy independent bookstore
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Local, independent bookstores have never been more important than they are right now. With free and fair access to literature under political attack, independent bookstores are a bulwark against censorship and an asset to the communities they serve.
Of course, they do so much more than sell books. Independent bookstores are a community connector, hosting events, clubs and social events that keep local citizens engaged and informed. A local bookstore is also a great place to make friends.
Each week we'll be profiling an independent bookstore in the U.S., discovering what makes each one special and getting expert book recommendations from booksellers plugged into the pulse of their local readership. Up this week is Storyhouse Bookpub in Des Moines, Iowa.
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What makes your independent bookstore unique?
Storyhouse Bookpub is in the heart of downtown Des Moines, just down the street from the state's capitol building in one of the most walkable, welcoming and progressive neighborhoods in the city if not the state. We pride ourselves on our quirky events, whimsical space and the strength of our partnerships with fellow small businesses.
Including the words "house" and "pub" in the store's name was intentional. Our aim is to make every reader feel welcomed into our space like they're our neighbor who just dropped in and stayed for a drink. We have stocked the space with books and arts, lights and plants because we want people to feel a shift in the rhythm of their day - an invitation to settle into one of our cozy nooks or chat about what they're reading or even just how they're doing.
In June, we expanded the store by 30%, making space for a used-book program to round out our inventory of new books - something we see as a win-win (win!) for both readers, bookstores and the environment. Storyhouse believes that part of our mission of reading together is giving good books a second (or third … to infinity!) life and sharing those reading experiences with others. A curated and cared-for used-book section is a way to enrich the lives of local book lovers by offering a low-stakes way to fill out their home libraries and a true variety of price points throughout the store.
We take pride in featuring locally sourced products and fixtures, like our antique bookshelves and mural of the store's mascot (Cozy the Bear) by a local artist as well as bookish gift items like candles, lip balms, coffee beans, jewelry, toys and cards from Des Moines makers.
What's a book you can't keep on the shelves?
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We sell through stacks of “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers every week. It's a delightful futuristic low-stakes adventure story of an unlikely friendship between a monk and a robot who are both trying to answer big existential questions of existence and set out on a journey to do so when they cross paths. I think we sell this one so much not only because it's a quick, slim novel and every bookseller on staff has fallen hard for it, but because it speaks to so much about what we value in the store: life's seemingly small comforts, say connecting around a cup of tea, are really the moments that make it worth living.
Other books that mean a lot to us that we're constantly rolling through: “Girlhood,” by Melissa Febos; “The Book of Delights,” by Ross Gay; “When Women Were Dragons,” by Kelly Barnhill; “Devotions,” by Mary Oliver; and anything by Des Moines romance writer Denise Williams.
What's a book you think deserves more attention / hype?
“The Seed Keeper,” by Diane Wilson, is a magnificent multigenerational novel featuring a Dakhóta woman in the present day who has been separated from her family and tribe as a child and marries a white farmer. We enter the story when she is middle-aged and in a moment of crisis about who she is after her husband dies. The story travels backward and forward in time, digging into the true history from a Native perspective that has created so many present-day environmental and cultural troubles that should resonate deeply with anyone raised in the Midwest. The novel stays close to its characters even as it raises many questions that hit close to home. It makes for tremendous book club discussion.
“The Seed Keeper” for $16.74 at Bookshop.org
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What books are you most excited about coming out in the next few months?
We can't wait for Jesmyn Ward's newest novel, “Let Us Descend” (out Oct. 24); Ross Gay's “Book of (More) Delights” (out Sept. 19); Zadie Smith's new historical novel, “The Fraud” (out Sept. 5th); and of course BTS' upcoming oral history, "Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS" (out July 9).
Why do you think customers should shop local/indie?
In shopping local, you are investing in what it means to be from Des Moines. In a culture where digitization and capitalism seem bent on isolating and polarizing us, many small businesses are doing the meaningful work of making products and places that bring us together. At Storyhouse, purchasing a book is so much more than a transaction to us. It's a sharing of our mutual delight. It's casting a vote to directly support not only the authors and artists that made that book, but the people and families who make the bookstore a gathering space.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Storyhouse Bookpub in Des Moines: Go inside the independent bookstore
