šSeattle in Five Bookshops
Recently after a company offsite in Washington State I managed to steal a day or two to see an old friend and have an explore of Seattle. I donāt really think Seattle was gonna be super high on my list of cities to visit in the world, but Iām very glad I got some time there.
As well as: all the standard tourist attractions, some Last of Us related sightseeing to later show my boyfriend on my return and a lot of good coffee; I managed to peruse a few of the cities bookshops while I was around.
Bookshops are where, as Lemony Snicket said of libraries, the world is quiet. They have a thrumming hum to them of potential energy. This resonance is how I rate bookshops. Itās hard to describe but the best bookshops Iāve ever been to feel full of polite people who would desperately love to tell you about their greatest passion but will suffice with a small āexcuse meā to reach the section youāre blocking.
Barnes and Noble
This was my first trip to the states so you will forgive me for patronising the conglomerate. It was a very dissonant experience for a Brit in a Barnes & Noble, itās like a Waterstones with the serial numbers shaved off. That is of course because theyāre owned by the same guy.
This was a perfectly fine shop with books, though I did end up buying Simon Armitageās new verse translation of Gilgamesh here. For some reason this released in the US in April but isnāt being released in the UK until October. So while Iām ahead of the curve having bought it early and smuggled it bank into the country, I do feel distinctly wasteful and not very eco friendly of me to buy Simonās book almost 5000 miles away from home, despite him being from the town my Family live in.
Lamplight Books
Second hand stores have a particular timbre to their resonant vibrations. Perhaps a sadness to them, the collection of Thomas Roethke Poems I bought from this bookshop was awarded to a young girl for an āOutstanding Achievement in Creative Writingā in 1969.
In second hand bookshops I waddle particularly quickly to the sci-fi section since there is a particular edition of Isaac Asimov books I am trying to collect. The ones from the 90s, where the Foundation series all have covers that connect into one giant piece of art by Fred Gambino. They alas did not have any of that particular editions but still some cool finds.
This bookshop was nestled between a bakery and a pickle bar, what more could the human soul need?
Pine Books
This is an odd one that has the feel of a premium chain, but I believe is fully independent. They had some wonderful collections of hardcover special editions of some sci-fi classic, if my luggage was not already full I wouldāve taken some home.
They also featured this classics collection, similar to the Penguin clothbound, but called the Drop Letter collection. Where on the front of the book is an ornate capital letter denoting the title of the book. If I werenāt already an Odyssey and a Metamorphoses deep into the Clothbounds I may have strayed into starting a collection there and then.
Also it was fascinating to see a full collection of Folgerās Shakespeare, in our household the Arden copies reign supreme, but itās lovely seeing how the Bard is presented over the pond.
Left Bank Books
Back in London my favourite of favourite-est bookshops is Gayās the Word. Not only is it in a lovely neighbourhood, near some great coffee and a stones throw from St Pancras, but it has some seriously cool and groovy history to it. Itās where Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners coordinated. Last time I was there was for London Pride and, despite being on temporary premises while renovations occur on their historical site, it was positively vibrating with bookish Pride. I picked up a biography of James Baldwin that if dropped from even a medium height could kill a man. I still havenāt quite worked up the courage to start it.
I say all that because Left Bank Books is in harmony with Gays the Word but with the groovy punky nature dialled up a few notches. Thereās local zines for free on the shelf, paid zines at the back, queer sections, trans rights sections. I picked up this gorgeous edition of Larry Mitchells fable come manifesto, which has been on my āoh I should definitely read that at some pointā list for longer than Iād like to admit. And a collection of Ursula K Le Guins late poetry.
Elliot Bay Books
The aforementioned friend I was visiting in Seattle had to head home at the sensible hour of 8pm so I was left with some time to kill. Thankfully a just round the corner from the vegan, cocktail music bar we were in was a bookshop open until 10pm. In the heart of Capital Hill, that in this uncultured Englishmanās eye was the Soho of Seattle, lies Elliot Bay Book Shop. Adorned with an enchanting stain glass window above the door, it seems deceptively small from the outside.
However as you enter it unfolds before you. Rows upon rows of books, with the most hand written staff recommendations than Iāve seen compared to any bookshop.
I was here till close.
It took all my energy not to throw all my clothes away and bring stuff back. I found stuff in here I hadnāt heard of but was desperate for. I ended up choosing a sensible level of one Le Guin book Iād never heard of, and I almost bought a t-shirt.
By bookshop is one of my favourite ways to view a city, and if Iām ever in Seattle again for some reason I canāt wait to pop back to these gems. Though Iāll make sure to leave a bit more space in my luggage for the return journey.