Blackwing

Introducing Blackwing 574 – A Tribute to Native American Art

Sadie Giacomelli — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 16:00:00 +0000

November 2024

VOLUME 574

A Tribute to Native American Art

Blackwing Volume 574 is a tribute to Native American Art and Culture.

PENCIL STORY

For centuries, the Indigenous people of North America have preserved their histories through art. As more and more Native Americans were displaced by westward-expanding colonialism, art became a vessel for preserving their culture as well as their history. Their daily lives were recorded through paintings, songs, stories, and dances.

Native American art is both functional and beautiful, acting as a bridge to Indigenous cultures and offering a unique perspective on their history. These works enrich the lives of all North Americans, providing a window into the world through Indigenous eyes.

The Blackwing 574 is our tribute to Native American art and the 574 nations that use it to assert agency and identity. We worked with Kaw, Osage, Lakota artist Chris Pappan to design a pencil that evokes geometric patterns found throughout many Native American expressions of culture. Each pencil includes our firm graphite.

A portion of the proceeds from this release will be donated to the Cheyenne River Youth Project and their mission to provide enriching arts programs to Lakota youth on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation.

Chris Pappan:

https://chrispappan.com/
https://www.instagram.com/chrispappan/

Cheyenne River Youth Project:

https://lakotayouth.org/
https://www.instagram.com/lakotayouth/

LEDGER STORY

The Indigenous peoples of the Plains have kept visual histories of their people for centuries. As they continued to be displaced by settlers throughout the 19th century, this practice became more challenging, and even more essential. Hides and cloth were traditionally used as canvasses, but those were soon replaced by a more portable and accessible solution – paper.

One of the more popular vessels for these visual histories were the ledger books used by the very settlers that were displacing them. The Native artisans drew in these books with pencils, paints, and sometimes crayons, documenting their histories, important stories and more. What was once used to keep inventory of settler property was repurposed to keep inventory of the cultural practices of the people of the Plains.

This Blackwing 574 ledger book is a recreation of the types of ledger books used by the Plains tribes to preserve their identities and histories. This 7.5″ x 11.75″ book features a multi-textured vegan leather and suede cover and 152 numbered ledger pages. Use it as a ledger of your own or fill it with your own drawings of the important events in your life.

SUBSCRIBE TO VOLUMES

SHOP BLACKWING 574

Every Blackwing purchase benefits music and arts education at the K-12 level.

The post Introducing Blackwing 574 – A Tribute to Native American Art appeared first on Blackwing.

Makers Series – Robert Brighton

Andrew Nguyen — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 22:02:06 +0000

Name: Robert Brighton

Pencil Hand: Right

Craft: Author

Location: Northern Virginia

@robertbrightonauthor

robertbrightonauthor.com

Shop Blackwing x Robert Brighton:
robertbrightonauthor.com/shop

“…good books will take readers anywhere they want to go—but great books will take them places they didn’t expect.”

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THE PROCESS

We had the opportunity to chat with Robert Brighton, award-winning author and creator of the Avenging Angel Detective Agency Mysteries and other acclaimed titles. He is an expert on the Gilded Age and avid Blackwing user. We recently teamed up on a Bespoke collection celebrating the release of his book Current of Darkness.

How and when did you decide to become a writer?

Mainly, I think it’s what I always wanted to be—it was a kind of calling, or obsession if you prefer. When I was a kid, books took me to countless places I wanted to go. I suppose as I grew up, I wanted to do for others what all those authors had done for me.

That said, it took many years for me to gain control of this craft of writing (or art, or both) before I was willing to publish a single word. I wanted to set the bar high, because I believe that good books will take readers anywhere they want to go—but great books will take them places they didn’t expect. That was my goal.

What drew you to historical fiction? And why the Gilded Age in particular?

Historical fiction authors can get a little heady about the ‘lessons of history’—and while I do not dismiss thought-provocation as a valuable byproduct of reading historical fiction, to me the author’s primary duty is to tell a good story. And what makes a good story? I tend to think that people read historical fiction to immerse themselves in a different time or place, either as a few hours’ escape from the daily grind or simply because it’s easier to immerse oneself in another era because our modern thoughts about modern life don’t keep intruding on our enjoyment of the story. Thus I feel that a rich and historically sound recreation of the world of the past—with a fictional gloss—provides a very satisfying reading experience. Readers of my books can wander around in the Gilded Age with me for as long as they like, and then come safely home again.

As to the Gilded Age itself, I suppose to me it represents the last gasp of a world now utterly swept away—whether in mindset or simply in the way people lived their lives. In the fifty or so years after the Civil War, most Gilded Age people evolved a belief that the future would be always better than the past. To them, the evil of slavery had been atoned for by the bloodletting of the Civil War; every day brought a new technological or scientific marvel; the last blank corners of the map were being explored. And in only a hundred years since…that sense of optimism has mostly curdled. Humanity cannot turn away from the sinking of the ‘unsinkable ship’, the Titanic; World War I, the Great Depression, the resurgence of the Klan and Jim Crow, World War II, the Holocaust, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot—really, do I have to go on? The short century following the conclusion of the Gilded Age—our century—has been one of nonstop horror. Even all of our modern technical marvels seem only to have deepened the sense of alienation we have from ourselves, our fellow human beings, and from nature itself (I have seen people at the rim of the Grand Canyon spending the whole time on their phones).

As a result, I tend to think that the Gilded Age was a little like those halcyon days of childhood, when we could hardly wait to grow up. Until we found out what growing up means! In the Gilded Age, almost no one could imagine what was just ahead, but man-oh-man were they barreling full-steam toward it! In my own moments of optimism, I like to think that perhaps understanding all that might help us pump the brakes a little. Or not: Human nature hasn’t changed in a mere hundred years, and if there is anything in general about Homo sapiens I can state with confidence, it’s that it is an unusually violent, horny, and greedy species. If this be treason, make the most of it!

What is the Avenging Angel Detective Agency?

The Avenging Angel Detective Agency is a fledgling (fictional) detective agency founded by beautiful young widow Sarah Payne. When Sarah’s intended is murdered at the behest of some very powerful people, the murder is immediately swept under the proverbial rug. Like most of us, Sarah might have gone on with her life with a degree of resignation about ‘the way things are’, but that’s not in her nature. She grew up reading the Sherlock Holmes stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and always thought she’d like to become a detective herself. And so she resolves to do for her dead lover what the justice system could not or would not do—hold the guilty parties to account. To right this kind of wrong, she starts up a detective agency to be a kind of ‘avenging angel’ for people to whom justice has been denied.

Part of what makes Sarah and her detective exploits unusually charming is that, while in deadly earnest about her new profession, she knows absolutely nothing about being a detective—except what she’s read in books. But unlike the unerring, cold precision of her hero Holmes, in her naïveté Sarah makes more than her fair share of mistakes and misjudgments. Even so, and against much opposition, she refuses to abandon her belief in herself, and that women can compete on equal footing with men, which of course was a pretty revolutionary notion at the time. I think all that makes her a very real person, and if there is one word that in my opinion ought to define good historical fiction, it is ‘verisimilitude’. That’s what I aim for; and with Sarah (and her ‘best frenemy’ Alicia Miller) I believe I hit the bullseye. Now there must be truth in advertising, so I must add that while my books do provide a kind of ‘escape’, they are decidedly not nostalgic. They depict the times and the human condition in the way my research has found them to be, warts and all.

You’ve published two books this year. What can you tell us about these novels?

Current of Darkness (published earlier this year) is a story of industrial espionage set in 1903 Niagara Falls, New York, at the dawn of the electric power industry. Mysterious tycoon Charles Kendall depends on the falling waters of Niagara to spin his turbines and make his product. But little by little, his water is going missing—and with it a great deal of profit—and he asks Sarah Payne to come to Niagara Falls to solve this mystery. This brings Sarah into contact with shady union bosses, dangerous anarchists, and people who will stop at nothing to win. And, I don’t mind saying, a few sparks fly between Sarah and Charles . . .

My latest book is called The Phantom of Forest Lawn, and while I won’t give any spoilers away, let us say that it is a novel of love and grave-robbery. Now, those things don’t usually go together, but suffice it to say that they do in this book! I’m very proud of it, and I think anyone who has ever loved or lost—or both—ought to read it.

How did you discover Blackwing?

Many years ago (more than I care to admit), I fell in love with pencils. It may have been as a child, because in those days every classroom had a pencil sharpener next to the blackboard, and I recall so very fondly the sharp tang of ground cedar and graphite that oozed out of it! (The sense of smell, you know, is the one most closely linked to memory.)

As it is in my nature to seek out the best tools for any job, when I started writing in earnest I tried many different vintage pencils—and there are some great ones. But none, I found, wrote and felt like the Eberhard Faber Blackwing 602, which alas was long out of production by the time I discovered it. Yet for a struggling author without much disposable income, a $50 vintage pencil could be only a very occasional splurge! Then quite out of the blue, CalCedar resurrected the Blackwing brand, and while I will admit I was at first skeptical that a modern version could ever live up to the standard of the original 602, boy did I turn out to be wrong. I quickly found that the ‘reimagined’ Blackwings were every bit the pencil that the old ones were. And, by the way, that I could buy a whole dozen of them for less than the cost of a single vintage 602! I guess you could say, then, that I have always used Blackwings—and I’m very grateful (no kissing up here, either) that you guys brought them back into my life, and at a price point that makes them a very affordable luxury.

We hear youʼve written all your novels by hand. Can you explain this part of your creative process?

I’d love to claim credit for such a feat, but even a graphite-head like me couldn’t manage that . . . my fingers would fall off if I had to write and rewrite a hundred-thousand-word novel longhand. I know lots of writers have done just that, but that was before laptops! Now what I do do is to take all of my research notes (and there are a lot of them when one is a historical novelist) in pencil and in Blackwing’s Slate notebooks. When I have story ideas, I work them out first in pencil. Only after I have done all that will I open the laptop to write! So while I may not write my novels out longhand, none of them could have been written at all without the good old pencil.

Do you have a preferred pencil or graphite for drafting your novels?

I have a heavy ‘hand’, whether on the keyboard or on paper, and as a result I tend to favor Blackwing’s Firm or Extra-Firm lead. I don’t have to sharpen nearly so much. (By contrast, my wife is a graphic artist, and she favors Soft or Balanced.) In traditional graphite terminology, I prefer something around a #2 ½. Lots of vintage pencils have curious variations on that theme—2 3/8, 2 5/8, and so on—and if I had to choose a few vintage models (other than the 602), I’d choose the Eagle Diagraph 817 (early 1900s), Dixon’s Mikado/Mirado (circa 1930s and later), and the Richard Best Futura (1950s). It’s fun to see how different pencils perform, but I’ve always come right back to Blackwing. I almost feel like I’m cheating on Blackwing when I use anything else!

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How would you persuade a friend to choose a pencil over other writing tools?

There is something inherently forgiving about the pencil. Its erasable nature eliminates the pressure to be perfect—in fact, pencils encourage trial and error. Furthermore, there is a contemplative aspect to writing in pencil: the feel of the wood and the scent of the graphite as they are warmed by the hand, and the quiet, the uninterrupted flow of ideas without a blank screen staring accusingly back at me. If I can’t think of an idea, I can doodle and let my mind drift, which I cannot do on a laptop. In my opinion, a major cause of the dreaded ‘writer’s block’ is the notion that one can sit down at a laptop and start creating something where nothing has been before. That is daunting.

Also, since I live in Northern Virginia, I spend a great deal of my research time at the nearby Library of Congress, whose collection is unequalled—and guess what? The Library allows only pencils into their reading rooms—because rare manuscripts and books can so easily be ruined by a single errant stroke of a pen. If someone makes a bonehead play and marks up a book with pencil, it is easily erased without doing any lasting damage to something that is itself a piece of history. Pencils are a respectful way to approach valuable research materials.

We collaborated on a set of Blackwing X Robert Brighton pencils and Slate notebooks for your recent book launch. How did you approach the design of these assets?

With considerable excitement, and more than a little fear! Imagine if you will a graphite fiend and Blackwing loyalist like me, being asked to design his very own pencils and notebook collaboration. Blow this, Robert, and you’ll be the laughingstock of Pencil World forever! In all seriousness, though, the principle I followed was to design a pencil and notebook that I would pick up and use before any of the many others squirrelled away in my house. To do that, I thought about what (to me) makes for a perfect writer’s pencil and notebook, and one good enough to share joyfully with others. As it happened, the design came together in more or less the same way my books do. I try to write stories that readers will enjoy, and I tried to design a pencil and notebook that pencil aficionados would enjoy using. (Perhaps even to launch their own writing careers!)

For the pencils, that meant something that looked beautiful and wrote marvelously well. For the barrel I selected a vintage Victorian marble paper design like those used in fine books of a century or more ago, in swirling shades of blue, green, and purple that would never be ‘sharpened away’ like some designs can be. For the lead, I chose Blackwing’s Firm, which as noted I find for a writer (and inveterate doodler!) has the perfect blend of buttery smoothness and durability. I neither find my hand getting fatigued after hours of writing, nor am I required to halt my train of thought for frequent resharpening. The ferrule had to be gold, of course, since my books are set in the Gilded Age . . . and for the eraser, I chose a custom Pantone shade of violet that matched the color of my heroine Sarah Payne’s deep blue eyes.

For the notebook, I have found the Slate A5 Medium to be perfect for its combination of writing space and portability. On its front cover is the cover art from my novel Current of Darkness, showing my Avenging Angels in a tense moment. (My publisher commissioned the incredible Mark Summers, who is simply the world’s finest scratchboard artist, to do the art.) On the rear cover is the logo of the Avenging Angel Detective Agency. Inside, the endpapers are full-bleed versions of the pencil-barrel’s lovely marbled design. A gold marker ribbon and cloth spine complete the package.

When I was done designing the pencils, box and insert, and notebook, I will admit I was pretty nervous about how they’d turn out! Until, that is, I received the first proof samples in the mail. I am here to tell you (and lying is very bad karma) that since then, my entire pencil collection and my stack of black Slate notebooks . . . well, they just sit there glaring at me, because the only pencil and notebook I want to use are my Blackwing collaborations. Frankly, for an author and a pencil-head, it was kind of a dream come true.

What are you working on next?

My next novel is called Winter in the High Sierra, and it’s due out in early Fall 2025. Between now and then, my publisher plans to release one of my short stories each month as a very affordable, e-book-only way to keep my readers interested until Sierra appears. I’ve found writing short stories to be a lot of fun—it’s such a different craft from novel-writing: harder in some ways and easier in others.

The good news for me is that people still love to read books—and more than I ever dreamed possible say that they love reading mine! Now that I’ve hit my stride, I hope to continue doing this for whatever time I have left in my all-too-brief visit to Planet Earth. To be able to do what you love to do every day is a ‘pinch me’ kind of thing. And knowing I can now do that thing with my very own Blackwing pencils and notebooks gives me enormous pride and pleasure!

SHOW US YOUR WORK

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Introducing Blackwing 71 – The Frank Lloyd Wright Pencil

Alexander Poirier — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:15:00 +0000

September 2024

VOLUME 71

The Frank Lloyd Wright Pencil

The Blackwing 71 is a tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright and his architectural ambition.

Few of the structures built by Frank Lloyd Wright during his historic career exemplify his never-ending pursuit of beauty better than his Usonian homes. Wright created the Usonian design philosophy to show that a practical and affordable home can still be a beautiful home. He brought best-in-class architecture to the middle-class when he built his first Usonian home at the age of 71.

Wright sought harmony between form and function, natural and artificial construction, and positive and negative space. The perforated boards that adorn the windows and laylights of these Usonian homes have become symbols of his unique design approach.

The Blackwing 71 is a tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright and his architectural ambition. Each pencil features a silhouette of one of Wright’s iconic perforated boards printed in a muted, midcentury palette. The area around the board is unfilled, letting the natural wood of the pencil shine through. Each pencil also includes a copper ferrule and our extra-firm graphite.

SUBSCRIBE TO VOLUMES

SHOP BLACKWING 71

Every Blackwing purchase benefits music and arts education at the K-12 level.

The post Introducing Blackwing 71 – The Frank Lloyd Wright Pencil appeared first on Blackwing.

Blackwing Collaborates with TRAVELER’S COMPANY

Alexander Poirier — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 03:00:00 +0000

We’ve teamed up with our friends at TRAVELER’S COMPANY to create a new capsule collection dedicated to our shared love for all things pencils and paper.

Available July 17, 2024, at blackwing602.com

TRAVELER’S COMPANY is a renowned Japanese stationery brand whose products celebrate travel in all its forms, from big trips to daily excursions. Their signature notebook is designed to be customized and to represent the ambitions, experiences, and personality of the person using it.

For our half of the capsule, we made a set of Blackwing X TRAVELER’S COMPANY pencils and a special Blackwing X TRAVELER’S COMPANY Point Guard.

The pencils feature a two-toned black and natural barrel design, gold imprint and ferrule, and steel blue eraser. They include our balanced graphite, which was chosen specifically for its performance with TRAVELER’S COMPANY’s premium MD Cotton paper.

The Point Guard matches the steel blue color of the pencil’s eraser. It is also engraved with a special Blackwing x TRAVELER’S COMPANY logo we designed together for this project.

TRAVELER’S COMPANY created a collection that consists of a notebook cover, a refill insert, and a charm to accompany the pencils and Point Guard.

The notebook cover is crafted with black leather and features a foil-stamped illustration of a Blackwing pencil. The refill is letterpress printed and foil-stamped to look like Blackwing pencils of varying lengths. The paper inside the refill is made of MD Paper Cotton, an original paper containing cotton that works well with pencils.

No TRAVELER’S COMPANY notebook would be complete without a charm to give it some character. The TRAVELER’S COMPANY team has also created an adorable Blackwing pencil nub charm that you can use to accessorize your notebook.

Alex with the TRC team outside TRAVELER’S FACTORY in Tokyo

Capsules will also be available at TRAVELER’S FACTORY Nakameguro, NARITA AIRPORT, TOKYO STATION, KYOTO, and the official TRAVELER’S FACTORY online store in Japan. In addition, it will be sold at various events hosted by TRAVELER’S COMPANY USA, starting with the Pacific Northwest Pen Show on 07/13 – 07/14.

We hope this collaboration inspires you to get out and experience the world around you—and document it in your notebook!

Shop the Blackwing x TRAVELER’S COMPANY Kit

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Behind the Design: Blackwing 746

Cameron Brooks — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 15:00:00 +0000

The new Blackwing 746 is a tribute to the Golden Gate Bridge. Each pencil features our firm graphite core and is finished with a special multi-layered technique to resemble the iconic International Orange color of the Bridge.

Blending In, Standing Out

International Orange is a standard color used across industries to distinguish objects from their surroundings. Exact color coordinates vary by industry, however, and the reddish-orange tone of the Golden Gate Bridge is unique when compared with variations seen in aerospace or general engineering.

Architect Irving Morrow believed the color would help the bridge blend in with its natural environment—the warm earth tones of the bluffs, the cool shades of sky and sea—while providing enhanced visibility for passing ships. Visibility was extremely important given the considerable amounts of fog that roll through the Bay Area.

Fun fact: The U.S. Navy wanted the Bridge to be painted with black and yellow stripes for even greater visibility.

A Color-Matching Challenge

When designing the Blackwing 746, we collaborated with The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, to accurately match the color of the pencils to the Bridge.

But achieving this took more than simply dipping each pencil in a can of orange paint. These pencils underwent a special multi-layered technique, with each one receiving eight or more coats of lacquer for precise color matching.

The result? A distinctive orange-vermillion pencil that we believe does justice to San Francisco’s beloved landmark (which was designed with pencils, by the way). Shop the limited-edition Blackwing 746 below.

Explore Blackwing 746

Shop Now

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Introducing Blackwing 746 – The Golden Gate Bridge Pencil

Cameron Brooks — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 19:34:12 +0000

June 2024

VOLUME 746

The Golden Gate Bridge Pencil

The Blackwing 746 is a tribute to the Golden Gate Bridge and other engineering wonders of the modern world.

In the summer of 1929, the newly-formed Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District hired Joseph B. Strauss to complete a task that many said was impossible: build a bridge across the churning waters of the Golden Gate Strait. He and his team of engineers, designers, and planners used pencil and paper to develop the sketches, design drafts, and finished plans that would become the Golden Gate Bridge.

When the Golden Gate Bridge opened on May 27, 1937, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It measured 1.7 miles long, with a 4,200-foot main span and two 746-foot towers supporting the structure at either end. The innovative engineering techniques used to build the bridge have allowed it to withstand hurricane-force winds, raging ocean currents, and the rumblings of the nearby San Andreas Fault.

The Blackwing 746 is a tribute to the Golden Gate Bridge and other engineering wonders of the modern world. Each pencil features our firm graphite core and is finished with a special multi-layered technique to bring out the iconic International Orange color of San Francisco’s world-famous marvel.

Explore Blackwing Vol. 746

SUBSCRIBE TO VOLUMES

SHOP BLACKWING 746

Every Blackwing purchase benefits music and arts education at the K-12 level.

The post Introducing Blackwing 746 – The Golden Gate Bridge Pencil appeared first on Blackwing.

Blackwing x Independent Bookstore Day 2024 Retailer Locator

Cameron Brooks — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:54:54 +0000

Join us in supporting indie bookstores nationwide with the new 2024 Blackwing x Independent Bookstores pencils. These limited-edition pencils are exclusively available at participating independent bookstores starting Saturday, April 27. Please check the directory below and visit your local independent bookstore to purchase.

Alaska

The Islander Bookshop

111 Rezanof Dr W, Kodiak, AK 99615

www.islanderbookshop.com

+1 907-942-7560

Arizona

Bookmans Phoenix Entertainment Exchange

8034 N 19th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85021

www.bookmans.com

+1 602-433-0255

Bookish: An Indie Shop for Folks Who Read

63 S 6th St, Fort Smith, AR 72901

bookishfs.com

+1 479-434-8631

Bright Side Bookshop

18 N San Francisco St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

brightsidebookshop.com

+1 928-440-5041

Bookmans Flagstaff Entertainment Exchange

1520 S Riordan Ranch St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

bookmans.com

+1 928-774-0005

Arkansas

WordsWorth Books

5920 R St, Little Rock, AR 72207

wordsworthbookstore.com

+1 501-663-9198

The Islander Bookshop

111 Rezanof Dr W, Kodiak, AK 99615

www.islanderbookshop.com

+1 907-942-7560

California

Small World Books

1407 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291

www.smallworldbooks.com

+1 310-399-2360

Arvida Book Co.

115 W Main St, Tustin, CA 92780

arvidabookco.com

Alibi Bookshop

624 Marin St, Vallejo, CA 94590

alibibookshop.com

+1 707-563-5179

Leigh’s Favorite Books

121 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086

www.leighsbooks.com

+1 408-736-2665

Readers’ Books

130 E Napa St, Sonoma, CA 95476

www.readersbooks.com

+1 707-939-1779

The Book Catapult

3010-b Juniper St, San Diego, CA 92104

thebookcatapult.com

+1 619-795-3780

Meet Cute Romance Bookshop

4048 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104

www.meetcutebookshop.com

+1 619-228-9548

Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore

3555 Rosecrans St Suite 107, San Diego, CA 92110

www.mystgalaxy.com

+1 619-539-7137

Book Passage

One Ferry Building 42, San Francisco, CA 94111

www.bookpassage.com

+1 415-835-1020

Green Apple Books

506 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118

www.greenapplebooks.com

+1 415-387-2272

Browser Books

2195 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115

www.greenapplebooks.com

+1 415-567-8027

Hicklebee’s Childrens Books

1378 Lincoln Ave, San Jose, CA 95125

www.hicklebees.com

+1 408-292-8880

Chaucer’s Books

3321 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

www.chaucersbooks.com

+1 805-682-6787

Two Birds Books

881 41st Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

www.twobirdsbooks.com

+1 831-900-5588

Bookshop Santa Cruz

1520 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

www.bookshopsantacruz.com

+1 831-423-0900

Crawford’s Books

5301 Freeport Blvd #200, Sacramento, CA 95822

www.crawfordbooks.net

+1 916-731-8001

Red Rock Books

206 W Ridgecrest Blvd, Ridgecrest, CA 93555

www.redrockbooks.net

The Frugal Frigate

9 N 6th St, Redlands, CA 92373

frugalfrigate.com

+1 909-793-0740

Word Horde Emporium of the Weird & Fantastic

2200 Petaluma Blvd N #805, Petaluma, CA 94952

www.weirdandfantastic.com

+1 707-981-9110

Vroman’s Bookstore

695 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101

www.vromansbookstore.com

+1 626-449-5320

The Gamble House

4 Westmoreland Pl, Pasadena, CA 91103

gamblehouse.org

+1 626-793-3334

Bart’s Books

302 W Matilija St, Ojai, CA 93023

www.bartsbooksojai.com

+1 805-646-3755

Lido Village Books

3424 Via Lido #103, Newport Beach, CA 92663

lidovillagebooks.com

+1 949-220-7632

Napa Bookmine

1625 2nd St, Napa, CA 94559

www.napabookmine.com

+1 707-733-3199

BookSmart

421 Vineyard Town Ctr, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

www.mybooksmart.com

+1 408-778-6467

Once Upon A Time Bookstore

2207 Honolulu Ave, Montrose, CA 91020

www.shoponceuponatime.com

+1 818-248-9668

Gallery Bookshop & Bookwinkles

319 Kasten St #270, Mendocino, CA 95460

www.gallerybookshop.com

+1 707-937-2665

Kepler’s Books

1010 El Camino Real #100, Menlo Park, CA 94025

www.keplers.com

+1 650-324-4321

Pages: a bookstore

904 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

www.pagesabookstore.com

+1 310-318-0900

Bel Canto Books Retro Row

2106 E 4th St, Long Beach, CA 90814

belcantobooks.net

+1 562-294-3319

Linden Tree Children’s Books

265 State St, Los Altos, CA 94022

www.lindentreebooks.com

+1 650-949-3390

Skylight Books

1818 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

www.skylightbooks.com

+1 323-660-1175

UC San Diego Bookstore

9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093

ucsandiegobookstore.com

+1 858-534-7326

Ruby’s Books

724 Sutter St, Folsom, CA 95630

rubysfolsom.com

+1 916-790-8760

Chukaruka

11251 Sierra Ave. 2e 113, Fontana, CA 92337

Face In A Book

4359 Town Center Blvd, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762

www.getyourfaceinabook.com

+1 916-941-9401

A Seat at the Table Books

9257 Laguna Springs Dr #130, Elk Grove, CA 95758

www.aseatatthetablebooks.org

+1 916-538-3482

Bookshop Benicia

636 1st St, Benicia, CA 94510

bookshopbenicia.indielite.org

+1 707-747-5155

Pegasus Books

2349 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704

www.pegasusbookstore.com

+1 510-649-1320

Mrs Dalloway’s

2904 College Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705

www.mrsdalloways.com

+1 510-704-8222

Peninsula Books

441 Westlake Center, Daly City, CA 94015

www.peninsulabooks.org

+1 650-232-7700

Rakestraw Books

3 Railroad Ave, Danville, CA 94526

www.rakestrawbooks.com

+1 925-837-7337

The Avid Reader Bookstore

617 2nd St, Davis, CA 95616

www.avidreaderbooks.com

+1 530-758-4040

Colorado

Words of Windsor

631 Birch St Unit B, Windsor, CO 80550

wordsofwindsor.com

+1 970-658-2669

The Read Queen Bookstore

129 N Harrison Ave, Lafayette, CO 80026

thereadqueen.com

Out West Books

533 Main St, Grand Junction, CO 81501

www.outwestbooks.co

+1 970-986-8086

Old Firehouse Books

232 Walnut St, Fort Collins, CO 80524

www.oldfirehousebooks.com

+1 970-484-7898

Once Upon a Trapeze Bookstore

301 E Main St Suite 105, Buena Vista, CO 81211

www.onceuponatrapeze.com

+1 719-398-4044

The Shop at MATTER

2114 Market St, Denver, CO 80205

www.shopatmatter.com

+1 303-893-0330

Bookworm of Edwards

295 Main St, Edwards, CO 81632

www.bookwormofedwards.com

+1 970-926-7323

Connecticut

The Curious Cat Bookshop

386 Main St, Winsted, CT 06098

curiouscatbookshop.com

+1 860-909-1014

River Bend Bookshop

161 Park Rd, West Hartford, CT 06119

riverbendbookshop.com

+1 860-232-4141

Hickory Stick Book Shop

2 Green Hill Rd, Washington Depot, CT 06794

www.hickorystickbookshop.com

+1 860-868-0525

Bank Square Books

53 W Main St, Mystic, CT 06355

www.banksquarebooks.com

+1 860-536-3795

RJ Julia Booksellers

768 Boston Post Rd, Madison, CT 06443

www.rjjulia.com

+1 203-245-3959

River Bend Bookshop

2400 Main St, Glastonbury, CT 06033

www.riverbendbookshop.com

+1 860-430-6608

Byrd’s Books

178 Greenwood Ave, Bethel, CT 06801

www.byrdsbooks.com

+1 203-730-2973

Delaware

Delaware Art Museum

2301 Kentmere Pkwy, Wilmington, DE 19806

delart.org

+1 302-571-9590

Finist and The Owl

811 Brandywine Blvd, Wilmington, DE 19809

www.finistandtheowl.com

+1 786-228-6638

Browseabout Books

133 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

www.browseaboutbooks.com

+1 302-226-2665

Florida

Writer’s Block Bookstore

316 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789

writersblockbookstore.com

+1 407-335-4192

Tombolo Books

2153 1st Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712

tombolobooks.com

+1 727-755-9456

Books & Books

11297 S Dixie Hwy, Pinecrest, FL 33156

www.booksandbooks.com

+1 786-552-3290

Bodacious Bookstore and Cafe

110 E Intendencia St, Pensacola, FL 32502

www.bodaciousbookstore.com

+1 850-446-6966

San Marco Bookstore

1971 San Marco Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32207

www.sanmarcobooksandmore.com

+1 904-396-7597

Portkey Books

404 Main St, Safety Harbor, FL 34695

www.portkeybooks.com

+1 727-248-0211

Books & Books

9700 Collins Ave, Bal Harbour, FL 33154

booksandbooks.com

+1 305-864-4241

Books & Books

3409 Main Hwy, Coconut Grove, FL 33133

booksandbooks.com

+1 305-477-0866

Books & Books

265 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134

www.booksandbooks.com

+1 305-442-4408

Georgia

The Bookshelf

126 S Broad St, Thomasville, GA 31792

www.bookshelfthomasville.com

+1 229-228-7767

E Shaver Booksellers

326 Bull St, Savannah, GA 31401

www.eshaverbooks.com

+1 912-234-7257

Little Shop of Stories

133 E Court Square # A, Decatur, GA 30030

www.littleshopofstories.com

+1 404-373-6300

Book Bound Bookstore

32 Town Sq C, Blairsville, GA 30512

bookboundbooks.com

+1 706-897-4198

Avid Bookshop

1662 S Lumpkin St, Athens, GA 30606

avidbookshop.com

+1 706-850-2843

Tall Tales Book Shop Inc

2105 Lavista Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329

www.talltalesatlanta.com

+1 404-636-2498

The Book Tavern

978 Broad St, Augusta, GA 30901

www.booktavern.com

+1 706-826-1940

Idaho

Winnie & Mo’s Bookshop

343 A St, Idaho Falls, ID 83402

www.winnieandmos.com

+1 208-881-0326

Illinois

The Book Stall

811 Elm St, Winnetka, IL 60093

www.thebookstall.com

+1 847-446-8880

Sly Fox Bookstore

123 N Springfield St, Virden, IL 62690

www.slyfoxbooks.com

+1 217-965-3641

Anderson’s Bookshop

123 W Jefferson Ave, Naperville, IL 60540

www.andersonsbookshop.com

+1 630-355-2665

Boxcar Books and Vinyl

201 E Main St, Hoopeston, IL 60942

shopboxcarbooks.com

+1 217-769-9310

The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn

475 N Main St, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

www.bookstoreofge.com

+1 630-469-2891

Bookends & Beginnings

1620 Orrington Ave, Evanston, IL 60201

www.bookendsandbeginnings.com

+1 224-999-7722

Bobzbay Books

419 N Main St, Bloomington, IL 61701

+1 309-740-2012

Madison Street Books

1127 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60607

madstreetbooks.com

+1 312-929-4140

City Lit Books

2523 N Kedzie Blvd, Chicago, IL 60647

citylitbooks.com

+1 773-235-2523

RoscoeBooks

2142 W Roscoe St, Chicago, IL 60618

www.roscoebooks.com

+1 773-857-2676

Women & Children First

5233 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640

www.womenandchildrenfirst.com

+1 773-769-9299

Volumes Bookcafe

1373 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

www.volumesbooks.com

+1 773-697-8066

Indiana

Curious Squirrel Bookshop

120 S Main St, Zionsville, IN 46077

curioussquirrelbooks.com

+1 765-680-1051

Kids Ink Children’s Bookstores

5619 N Illinois St, Indianapolis, IN 46208

www.kidsinkbooks.com

+1 317-255-2598

Fables Books

215 S Main St, Goshen, IN 46526

www.fablesbooks.com

+1 574-534-1984

Morgenstern’s Bookstore & Café

849 S Auto Mall Rd, Bloomington, IN 47401

www.morgensternbooks.com

+1 812-676-7323

Viewpoint Books

548 Washington St, Columbus, IN 47201

www.viewpointbooks.com

+1 812-376-0778

Iowa

Book Vault

105 S Market St, Oskaloosa, IA 52577

www.bookvault.org

+1 641-676-1777

River Lights Bookstore

1098 Main St, Dubuque, IA 52001

www.riverlights.com

+1 563-556-4391

Dungeon’s Gate

2525 N Ankeny Blvd Suite 101, Ankeny, IA 50023

www.dungeonsgate.com

+1 515635-5170

Kansas

Watermark Books & Cafe

4701 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, KS 67218

www.watermarkbooks.com

+1 316-682-1181

Monarch Books & Gifts

7713 W 151st St, Overland Park, KS 66223

monarchbooksandgifts.com

+1 913-766-8646

The Raven Book Store

809 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044

www.ravenbookstore.com

+1 785-749-3300

Kentucky

Coffee Tree Books

159 E Main St, Morehead, KY 40351

www.coffeetreebooks.com

+1 606-784-8364

Carmichael’s Bookstore

1295 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40204

www.carmichaelsbookstore.com

+1 502-456-6950

Joseph-Beth Booksellers

161 Lexington Green Cir # B, Lexington, KY 40503

www.josephbeth.com

+1 859-273-2911

Louisiana

Garden District Book Shop

2727 Prytania St UNIT 14, New Orleans, LA 70130

www.gardendistrictbookshop.com

+1 504-895-2266

Octavia Books

513 Octavia St, New Orleans, LA 70115

www.octaviabooks.com

+1 504-899-7323

Cavalier House Books

114 N Range Ave, Denham Springs, LA 70726

www.cavalierhousebooks.com

+1 225-664-2255

Maine

The Booktenders

463 US-1, York, ME 03909

thebooktenders.com

+1 207-361-4386

hello hello books

316 Main St, Rockland, ME 04841

www.hellohellobooks.com

+1 207-593-7780

Print: A Bookstore

273 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101

www.printbookstore.com

+1 207-536-4778

The Briar Patch

27 Central St, Bangor, ME 04401

www.briarpatchbooks.com

+1 207-941-0255

Maryland

Loyalty Bookstores

Inside Bump & Grind’s Analog Market, 923 Gist Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910

www.loyaltybookstores.com

Backwater Books

8156 Main St, Ellicott City, MD 21043

backwaterbooks.com

+1 410-696-2482

Atomic Books

3620 Falls Rd, Baltimore, MD 21211

atomicbooks.com

+1 410-662-4444

Baltimore Read Aloud

919 W 34th St, Baltimore, MD 21211

Busboys and Poets – Columbia

6251 Mango Tree Rd, Columbia, MD 21044

www.busboysandpoets.com

+1 410-734-2445

Massachusetts

Odyssey Bookshop

9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075

www.odysseybks.com

+1 413-534-7307

Whitelam Books

610 Main St, Reading, MA 01867

www.whitelambooks.com

+1 781-779-1833

Book Love

7 Village Green S, Plymouth, MA 02360

www.book-love.com

+1 774-426-4123

Sea Howl Bookshop

46 Main St, Orleans, MA 02653

www.seahowlbookshop.com

+1 508-255-3343

Newtonville Books

10 Langley Rd, Newton, MA 02459

www.newtonvillebooks.com

+1 617-244-6619

Nantucket Bookworks

25 Broad St, Nantucket, MA 02554

www.nantucketbookworks.com

+1 508-228-4000

Mitchell’s Book Corner

54 Main St, Nantucket, MA 02554

www.mitchellsbookcorner.com

+1 508-228-1080

The Bookloft

63 State Rd, Great Barrington, MA 01230

www.thebookloft.com

+1 413-645-3256

Eight Cousins Books

189 Main St, Falmouth, MA 02540

www.eightcousins.com

+1 508-548-5548

Titcomb’s Bookshop

432 MA-6A, East Sandwich, MA 02537

www.titcombsbookshop.com

+1 508-888-2331

Book Moon

86 Cottage St, Easthampton, MA 01027

www.bookmoonbooks.com

+1 413-203-1717

East End Books Boston Seaport

300 Pier 4 Blvd., Boston, MA 02210

+1 508-413-3225

Papercuts Bookshop

60 South St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

papercutsbookshop.com

+1 617-522-3404

Copper Dog Books

272 Cabot St, Beverly, MA 01915

www.copperdogbooks.com

+1 978-969-3460

Book Shop of Beverly Farms

40 West St, Beverly, MA 01915

realbookshop.com

+1 978-927-2122

Brookline Booksmith

279 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446

www.brooklinebooksmith.com

+1 617-566-6660

Harvard Book Store

1256 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

harvard.com

+1 617-661-1515

Michigan

Brilliant Books

118 E Front St, Traverse City, MI 49684

www.brilliant-books.net

+1 231-946-2665

Fine Print Bookshop

109 E Michigan Ave, Saline, MI 48176

www.fineprintbooksh

Sidetrack Bookshop

325 S Washington Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067

www.sidetrackbooks.com

+1 248-341-0777

epilogue books

10 E Bridge St NE, Rockford, MI 49341

www.facebook.com

+1 616-884-0933

Snowbound Books

118 N 3rd St, Marquette, MI 49855

www.snowboundbooks.com

+1 906-228-4448

Bookbug

3019 Oakland Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49008

www.bookbugkalamazoo.com

+1 269-385-2847

The Bluestocking Bookshop

501 Butternut Dr Suite 3, Holland, MI 49424

www.bluestockingbookshop.com

+1 616-419-9918

The Bookman

715 Washington Ave, Grand Haven, MI 49417

bookmanbookstore.indielite.org

+1 616-846-3520

Source Booksellers

4240 Cass Ave UNIT 105, Detroit, MI 48201

www.sourcebooksellers.com

+1 313-832-1155

Booksweet

1729 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

shopbooksweet.com

+1 734-929-4112

Minnesota

The Thinking Spot

3311 County Rd 101 #4, Wayzata, MN 55391

www.thethinkingspot.us

+1 952-217-5682

Babycake’s Book Stack

291 7th St W #1502, St Paul, MN 55102

Next Chapter Booksellers

38 Snelling Ave S, St Paul, MN 55105

www.nextchapterbooksellers.com

+1 651-225-8989

Red Balloon Bookshop

891 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105

www.redballoonbookshop.com

+1 651-224-8320

Content Bookstore

314 Division St S, Northfield, MN 55057

www.contentbookstore.com

+1 507-222-9238

Lykke Communities LLC

616 S State St, New Ulm, MN 56073

Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers

2720 W 43rd St, Minneapolis, MN 55410

www.wildrumpusbooks.com

+1 612-920-5005

Magers & Quinn Booksellers

3038 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408

www.magersandquinn.com

+1 612-822-4611

Moon Palace Books

3032 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406

www.moonpalacebooks.com

+1 612-454-0455

Strive Bookstore

901 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55402

www.strivepubandco.com

+1 763-270-5738

Paperback Exchange

2227 W 50th St, Minneapolis, MN 55419

paperbackexchange.com

+1 612-929-8801

Zenith Bookstore

318 N Central Ave, Duluth, MN 55807

www.zenithbookstore.com

+1 218-606-1777

Haven Books & Gifts

100 Jefferson Blvd, Big Lake, MN 55309

havenbooksgifts.com

+1 651-955-5578

Buffalo Books & Coffee

6 Division St E, Buffalo, MN 55313

www.buffalo-books.com

+1 763-682-3147

Where the Sidewalk Ends Bookstore

432 Main St, Chatham, MA 02633

www.booksonthecape.com

+1 508-945-0499

Missouri

The Novel Neighbor

7905 Big Bend Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63119

thenovelneighbor.com

+1 314-738-9384

Left Bank Books

399 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108

www.left-bank.com

+1 314-367-6731

The Story Collective

114 S 7th St, St Joseph, MO 64501

www.stjoestoryco.com

+1 816-319-0870

The Book House

7352 Manchester Rd, Maplewood, MO 63143

bookhousestl.com

+1 314-968-4491

KD’s Books

241 SE Main St, Lee’s Summit, MO 64063

www.kdsbooksls.com

+1 816-525-1366

Skylark Bookshop

22 S 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201

www.skylarkbookshop.com

+1 573-777-6990

Montana

Montana Book Company

331 N Last Chance Gulch, Helena, MT 59601

www.mtbookco.com

+1 406-443-0260

Bookstore

26 N Idaho St, Dillon, MT 59725

www.dillonbookstore.com

+1 406-683-6807

Country Bookshelf

28 W Main St, Bozeman, MT 59715

www.countrybookshelf.com

+1 406-587-0166

Nebraska

The Bookworm

2501 S 90th St #111, Omaha, NE 68124

www.bookwormomaha.com

+1 402-392-2877

Bryant Books & Music

625 W 2nd St, Hastings, NE 68901

bryantbooksandmusic.com

+1 402-303-8554

Nevada

Sundance Bookstore

121 California Ave, Reno, NV 89509

www.sundancebookstore.com

+1 775-786-1188

New Hampshire

Still North Books & Bar

3 Allen St, Hanover, NH 03755

www.stillnorthbooks.com

+1 603-676-7846

Water Street Bookstore

125 Water St, Exeter, NH 03833

www.waterstreetbooks.com

+1 603-778-9731

Gibson’s Bookstore

45 S Main St, Concord, NH 03301

www.gibsonsbookstore.com

+1 603-224-0562

New Jersey

Words Matter Bookstore

52 S Broadway, Pitman, NJ 08071

www.wordsmatterbookstore.com

+1 856-218-5995

Watchung Booksellers

54 Fairfield St, Montclair, NJ 07042

www.watchungbooksellers.com

+1 973-744-7177

Inkwood Books

106 Kings Hwy E, Haddonfield, NJ 08033

www.inkwoodnj.com

+1 856-429-1298

New York

The Golden Notebook

29 Tinker St, Woodstock, NY 12498

+1 845-679-8000

The Unreliable Narrator

302 N Goodman St # E101, Rochester, NY 14607

www.instagram.com

Oblong Books [Rhinebeck]

6422 Montgomery St Suite 6, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

www.oblongbooks.com

+1 845-876-0500

River’s End Bookstore

19 W Bridge St, Oswego, NY 13126

www.riversendbookstore.com

+1 315-342-0077

Book Club

197 E 3rd St, New York, NY 10009

www.bookclubbar.com

+1 646-678-4160

Oblong Books [Millerton]

26 Main St, Millerton, NY 12546

www.oblongbooks.com

+1 518-789-3797

The Bookstore Plus

2491 Main St, Lake Placid, NY 12946

www.thebookstoreplus.com

+1 518-523-2950

Good Neighbor Bookstore

124 Chautauqua Ave, Lakewood, NY 14750

goodneighborbooks.com

+1 716-720-4917

Kew & Willow Books

81-63 Lefferts Blvd, Queens, NY 11415

www.kewandwillow.com

+1 718-441-0009

Buffalo Street Books

215 N Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY 14850

www.buffalostreetbooks.com

+1 607-273-8246

Greenlight Bookstore (Fulton Street)

686 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217

greenlightbookstore.com

+1 718-246-0200

Alice, Ever After Books

295 Parkside Ave, Buffalo, NY 14214

www.aliceeverafterbooks.com

+1 716-551-6943

Talking Leaves…Books

951 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, NY 14222

www.tleavesbooks.com

+1 716-884-9524

Battenkill Books LLC

15 E Main St, Cambridge, NY 12816

www.battenkillbooks.com

+1 518-677-2515

North Carolina

Pomegranate Books

4418 Park Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403

www.pombooksonline.com

+1 910-452-1107

Sassafras on Main

196 N Main St, Waynesville, NC 28786

sassafrasonmain.com

+1 828-246-6222

Quail Ridge Books

4209-100 Lassiter Mill Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609

www.quailridgebooks.com

+1 919-828-1588

McIntyre’s Books

220 Market St, Pittsboro, NC 27312

www.fearrington.com

+1 919-542-3030

Storyteller Book Co.

110 N Main St, Mt Gilead, NC 27306

Downtown Books

103 Sir Walter Raleigh St, Manteo, NC 27954

www.duckscottage.com

+1 252-473-1056

Malaprop’s Bookstore

55 Haywood St, Asheville, NC 28801

www.malaprops.com

+1 828-254-6734

Flyleaf Books

752 M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

www.flyleafbooks.com

+1 919-942-7373

The Little Book Store Clayton Store

413 Riverside Dr, Clayton, NY 13624

littlebookstoreclayton.com

+1 315-777-7417

Main Street Books

126 S Main St, Davidson, NC 28036

www.mainstreetbooksdavidson.com

+1 704-892-6841

Ohio

Loganberry Books

13015 Larchmere Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44120

www.loganberrybooks.com

+1 216-795-9800

Gathering Volumes

196 E South Boundary St, Perrysburg, OH 43551

www.gatheringvolumes.com

+1 567-336-6188

Little Sparrow Bookshop

1200 N Main St, North Canton, OH 44720

littlesparrowbooks.com

+1 330-967-2142

Learned Owl Book Shop

204 N Main St, Hudson, OH 44236

learnedowl.com

+1 330-653-2252

New & Olde Pages Book Shoppe

856 Union Blvd, Englewood, OH 45322

m.facebook.com

+1 937-832-3022

Fireside Book Shop Inc

29 N Franklin St, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022

www.firesidebookshop.com

+1 440-247-4050

Joseph-Beth Booksellers

2692 Madison Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45208

www.josephbeth.com

+1 513-396-8960

Oklahoma

Magic City Books

221 E Archer St, Tulsa, OK 74103

www.magiccitybooks.com

+1 918-602-4452

Green Feather Book Company

300 W Gray St Suite 108, Norman, OK 73069

www.greenfeatherbooks.com

+1 405-857-7427

Best of Books

1313 E Danforth Rd, Edmond, OK 73034

www.bestofbooksok.com

+1 405-340-9202

Rivendell Books and Baubles

2034 W Houston St, Broken Arrow, OK 74012

www.rivendellbandb.com

+1 918-994-7584

Oregon

Whitty Books

2306 E Admiral Blvd, Tulsa, OK 74110

www.whittybooks.com

+1 918-921-4030

Beach Books

616 Broadway St, Seaside, OR 97138

beachbooks37.com

+1 503-738-3500

Two Rivers Bookstore

8836 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203

www.tworiversbooks.com

+1 971-865-5941

Broadway Books

1714 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232

www.broadwaybooks.net

+1 503-284-1726

Powell’s Books Warehouse

2720 NW 29th Ave, Portland, OR 97210

www.powells.com

+1 503-228-4651

Spoke & Word Books

10863 SE Main St, Milwaukie, OR 97222

spokeandwordbooks.com

+1 503-303-4680

Roundabout Books

900 Northwest Mount Washington Drive #110, Bend, OR 97703

www.roundaboutbookshop.com

+1 541-306-6564

The Book Nook

200 NW 1st Ave, Canby, OR 97013

www.booknookcanby.com

+1 503-266-2665

The Corvallis Book Bin

215 SW 4th St, Corvallis, OR 97333

www.bookbin.com

+1 541-752-0040

Pennsylvania

Commonplace Reader

49 S Main St, Yardley, PA 19067

commonplace-reader.com

+1 215-420-2620

Main Point Books

116 N Wayne Ave, Wayne, PA 19087

www.mainpointbooks.com

+1 484-580-6978

The Squirrel & Acorn Bookshop

103 S Allen St, State College, PA 16801

www.thesquirrelandacornbookshop.com

+1 814-699-9018

Penguin Bookshop

417 Beaver St, Sewickley, PA 15143

www.penguinbookshop.com

+1 412-741-3838

City of Asylum

40 W North Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

cityofasylum.org

+1 412-435-1110

Riverstone Books

8850 Covenant Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

riverstonebookstore.com

+1 412-366-1001

Reads & Company

234 Bridge St, Phoenixville, PA 19460

www.readsandcompany.com

+1 484-920-3695

Completely Booked

201 Blue Spruce Way, Murrysville, PA 15668

completelybookedstore.com

+1 724-575-7520

The Lahaska Bookshop

Peddler’s Village Store, 162 Carousel Ln & Rte 263 A, Lahaska, PA 18931

facebook.com

+1 267-544-5131

Firefly Bookstore

271 W Main St, Kutztown, PA 19530

www.fireflybookstore.com

+1 484-648-2712

Cupboard Maker Books

157 N Enola Rd, Enola, PA 17025

www.cupboardmaker.com

+1 717-732-7288

Doylestown Bookshop

16 S Main St, Doylestown, PA 18901

www.doylestownbookshop.com

+1 215-230-7610

Let’s Play Books Bookstore

244 Main St, Emmaus, PA 18049

www.letsplaybooks.com

+1 610-928-8600

Rhode Island

Curiosity Store

14 Narragansett Ave, Jamestown, RI 02835

Barrington Books

184 County Rd, Barrington, RI 02806

www.barringtonbooks.com

+1 401-245-7925

South Carolina

Hub City Bookshop & Press

Masonic Temple, 186 W Main St, Spartanburg, SC 29306

www.hubcity.org

+1 864-577-9349

Itinerant Literate Bookstop

4824 Chateau Ave, North Charleston, SC 29405

itinerantliteratebooks.com

+1 843-225-6569

Poor Richards’ Booksellers

107 W Main St, Easley, SC 29640

+1 864-859-0687

South Dakota

Outside of a Dog Books & Games

5 Court St, Vermillion, SD 57069

outsideofadogsd.com

+1 605-638-4668

Tennessee

Ghostlight Books

5323 Main St, Spring Hill, TN 37174

ghostlightbooks.org

Parnassus Books

3900 Hillsboro Pike #14, Nashville, TN 37215

www.parnassusbooks.net

+1 615-953-2243

The Bookshop

1043 W Eastland Ave, Nashville, TN 37206

thebookshopnashville.com

+1 615-485-5420

novel.

387 Perkins Extd, Memphis, TN 38117

www.novelmemphis.com

+1 901-922-5526

Union Ave Books

517 Union Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902

www.unionavebooks.com

+1 865-951-2180

Reading Rock Books

122 N Main St, Dickson, TN 37055

readingrockbookstn.com

+1 615-326-0401

PLENTY Downtown Bookshop

48 W Broad St, Cookeville, TN 38501

www.plentybookshop.com

+1 931-349-2119

Texas

The Twig Book Shop

306 Pearl Pkwy #106, San Antonio, TX 78215

www.thetwig.com

+1 210-826-6411

Nowhere Bookshop

5154 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209

www.nowherebookshop.com

+1 210-640-7260

Murder By The Book

2342 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005

www.murderbooks.com

+1 713-524-8597

Blue Willow Bookshop

14532 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77079

www.bluewillowbookshop.com

+1 281-497-8675

Talking Animals Books

103 W Worth St, Grapevine, TX 76051

talkinganimalsbooks.com

+1 682-223-1311

Monkey and Dog Books

3608 W 7th St, Fort Worth, TX 76107

www.monkeyanddogbooks.com

+1 817-489-5747

Intermission Bookshop

203 Center Ave, Brownwood, TX 76801

www.intermissionbookshop.com

+1 325-203-5239

BookPeople

603 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703

www.bookpeople.com

+1 512-472-5050

Seven and One Books

1138 N 2nd St, Abilene, TX 79601

www.sevenandonebooks.com

+1 325-261-1148

Interabang Books

5600 W Lovers Ln #142, Dallas, TX 75209

interabangbooks.com

+1 214-484-4289

Patchouli Joe’s Books & Indulgences

221 W Hickory St, Denton, TX 76201

patchoulijoesbooks.com

+1 940-331-4155

Utah

The Book Bungalow

94 W Tabernacle St, St. George, UT 84770

www.thebookbungalow.com

+1 435-619-8200

The Book Garden

2 N Main St, Bountiful, UT 84010

bookgarden2.com

+1 801-292-2818

Vermont

Yankee Bookshop

12 Central St, Woodstock, VT 05091

yankeebookshop.com

+1 802-457-2411

Phoenix Books Essex

2 Carmichael St Suite 2, Essex Junction, VT 05452

phoenixbooks.biz

+1 802-872-7111

Phoenix Books Burlington

191 Bank St, Burlington, VT 05401

phoenixbooks.biz

+1 802-448-3350

The Bookstore

8 Conant Square, Brandon, VT 05733

www.thebookstorevt.com

+1 802-465-8009

Virginia

The Book Dragon Shop

102 W Beverley St, Staunton, VA 24401

www.thebookdragonshop.com

+1 540-712-7941

Fountain Bookstore Inc

1312 E Cary St, Richmond, VA 23219

www.fountainbookstore.com

+1 804-788-1594

Scrawl Books

11911 Freedom Dr, Reston, VA 20190

www.scrawlbooks.com

+1 703-966-2111

Book Bin

Four Corner Plaza, 25304 Charles M Lankford Jr Memorial Hwy, Onley, VA 23418

+1 757-787-7866

Fonts Books & Gifts

6262 Old Dominion Dr, McLean, VA 22101

fontsbooks.com

+1 571-327-3667

McKay Used Books

8345 Sudley Rd, Manassas, VA 20109

www.mckayusedbooks.com

Washington

White Oak Books

1700 Main St Ste D, Vancouver, WA 98660

whiteoakbooks.net

+1 360-949-6928

Hi-Voltage Records

2714 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA 98406

hivoltagerecords.com

+1 253-627-4278

Secret Garden Bookshop

2214 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107

www.secretgardenbooks.com

+1 206-789-5006

Phinney Books

7405 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103

www.phinneybooks.com

+1 206-297-2665

Nook & Cranny Books

324 15th Ave E #101, Seattle, WA 98112

nookandcrannybooks.com

+1 425-780-6027

Elliott Bay Book Company

1521 10th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

www.elliottbaybook.com

+1 206-624-6600

Paper Boat Booksellers

6040 California Ave SW Ste A, Seattle, WA 98136

www.paperboatbooksellers.com

+1 206-743-8283

Third Place Books Ravenna

6504 20th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115

www.thirdplacebooks.com

+1 206-525-2347

Brick & Mortar Books

7430 164th Ave NE suite B105, Redmond, WA 98052

www.brickandmortarbooks.com

+1 425-869-0606

Odyssey Bookshop

114 W Front St, Port Angeles, WA 98362

www.odysseybooksgifts.com

+1 360-457-1045

Browsers Bookshop

107 Capitol Way N, Olympia, WA 98501

browsersolympia.com

+1 360-357-7462

Third Place Books

17171 Bothell Way NE #A101, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

www.thirdplacebooks.com

+1 206-366-3333

Saltwater Bookshop

10978 NE State Hwy 104 #109, Kingston, WA 98346

www.saltwaterbookshop.com

+1 360-638-6136

Books Around the Corner

120 Bogachiel Way, Forks, WA 98331

Edmonds Bookshop

111 5th Ave S, Edmonds, WA 98020

www.edmondsbookshop.com

+1 425-775-2789

Ballast Book Company

409 Pacific Ave UNIT 202, Bremerton, WA 98337

www.ballastbookco.com

+1 360-626-3430

Village Books and Paper Dreams

1200 11th St, Bellingham, WA 98225

www.villagebooks.com

+1 360-671-2626

Three Trees Books

827 SW 152nd St, Burien, WA 98166

www.threetreesbooks.com

+1 206-427-1745

Kingfisher Bookstore

16 Front St NW, Coupeville, WA 98239

www.kingfisherbookstore.com

+1 360-678-8463

Washington D.C.

Busboys and Poets

2021 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

www.busboysandpoets.com

+1 202-387-7638

East City Bookshop

645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE #100, Washington, DC 20003

www.eastcitybookshop.com

+1 202-290-1636

Politics and Prose Bookstore

5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008

www.politics-prose.com

+1 202-364-1919

Loyalty Bookstore

843 Upshur St NW, Washington, DC 20011

www.loyaltybookstores.com

West Virginia

Four Seasons Books

114 W German St, Shepherdstown, WV 25443

www.fourseasonsbooks.com

+1 304-876-3486

Booktenders

621 Central Ave, Barboursville, WV 25504

booktenderswv.com

+1 304-691-0317

Wisconsin

Bound to Happen Books

1008 Main St, Stevens Point, WI 54481

boundtohappenbooks.com

+1 715-997-9094

Books & Company

1039 Summit Ave, Oconomowoc, WI 53066

www.booksco.com

+1 262-567-0106

Boswell Book Company

2559 N Downer Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211

www.boswellbooks.com

+1 414-332-1181

A Room of One’s Own

2717 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704

www.roomofonesown.com

+1 608-257-7888

Blue House Books

5915 6th Ave A, Kenosha, WI 53140

www.blue-house-books.com

+1 262-612-5525

Dotters Books

307 S Barstow St, Eau Claire, WI 54701

dottersbooks.com

+1 715-514-2305

The post Blackwing x Independent Bookstore Day 2024 Retailer Locator appeared first on Blackwing.

A Conversation with Alembic, Legendary Custom Guitar Shop

Cameron Brooks — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 15:29:47 +0000

Alembic has been handcrafting high-end basses and guitars in the California Bay Area for over fifty years. As part of our recent Blackwing 710 campaign, we sat down with Mica Wickersham Thomas, General Manager, to learn about the company’s fascinating history and connections to Jerry Garcia.

Listen to the whole conversation

Alembic started in 1969 when Ron and Susan Wickersham met at Pacific Recording Studio in San Mateo, California, where Ron was creating the first multi-track mixing console and Susan had been hired to paint a lighting controller At the time, Ron’s main job was design engineering at Ampex, with audio recording being a side interest. He eventually left to fully dedicate his efforts to the emerging field of multi-track recording.

Together, Ron and Susan formed Alembic and started working with the Grateful Dead, a band known for their interest in enhancing the quality of their sound. Alembic then relocated to Novato, where they shared office and rehearsal space with the Dead.

Ron Wickersham at his workbench with one of Phil Lesh’s basses–“Big Brown”– which Wickersham began modifying in 1969.

During this time, Alembic helped the Dead keep their gear in shape for both road and studio performances, specializing in electronics. Ron Wickersham even invented the now widely used active guitar electronics and installed them in Phil Lesh’s EB bass. Mica explained:

He thought he was just solving a problem for one person, but he ended up making active electronics a thing. So, if you ever need to put a battery in a guitar, you can thank my dad. He did it first.

Additionally, Alembic began to work on live recording, believing it to be the best way to capture the true essence and electricity of the music. Notable live recordings include the Grateful Dead’s Live/Dead and Europe 72 albums. Alembic was also hired to provide the sound system and record the soundtrack for the infamous 1969 Altamont concert, which was filmed by the Maysles Brothers and featured artists like The Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, and The Jefferson Airplane.

Alembic moved to San Francisco in 1970, continuing to focus on customizing guitars and refining their electronics package. Additionally, the company’s live recording and PA work became a significant part of their business during this period. Ron Wickersham also served as chief engineer for the Grateful Dead’s legendary Wall of Sound sound-system.

We asked Mica to explain how a guitar gets designed and built at Alembic:

Everything starts with a pencil here. And not just because I’m talking to Blackwing—it’s how we’ve always done it. When we design a custom shape, we’re gonna put pencil to paper. If we’re doing custom inlays, my mom and I always start with pencil on paper. Even when my mom is selecting where we actually place the templates for where we’re gonna cut out the top wood, she’s gonna mark that with a pencil.
We use machine tools and hand tools. We have band saws for cutting the wood out. We do all of our clamping by hand. We had a CNC [Computer Numerical Control] machine before any of the large guitar companies did. And it wasn’t to make a lot of guitars, but to make them more precisely.
We use it to make the slots on the fingerboard for where the frets go, especially for making custom scale lengths. That machine, her name is Nancy. Everything is custom to her, she doesn’t know the difference between a standard and a custom fingerboard. But, each one is slotted precisely. So if somebody needs a 33-inch scale, we can make that and we don’t even charge extra for it because we set up our whole shop to believe that ‘custom is normal.’

Walnut shavings
Bass peg heads awaiting the “rubout”
Custom build with active electronics

By 1971, Alembic had a state-of-the-art 16-track recording studio in San Francisco, a customizing business for guitars and PA equipment, and a small music store. The studio saw many famous artists such as Stephen Stills, Jerry Garcia, Santana, Gordon Lightfoot, Hot Tuna and even the San Francisco Symphony.

Throughout the 70s, Alembic continued to innovate and expand. In 1973, they began manufacturing a standard high-end instrument, marking the advent of an entirely new genre in instrument building. In 1974, they left San Francisco for Sonoma County. By 1976 electronics engineering and instrument production were consolidated in one facility in Cotati, CA. In 1976 they began producing the first graphite-neck basses and guitars, first played by John McVie, John Entwistle, and Stanley Clarke, who acquired his first Alembic bass in 1973.

As a custom shop, Alembic has always been attentive to the specific needs of its customers. The business has adapted over the years, but remains true to its original purpose:

Our purpose is to make finely-crafted tools for people who need them. As long as there are musicians who need to express their ideas, we’ll be building them guitars.

Learn more at the Alembic website.

Shop Blackwing Volume 710

The post A Conversation with Alembic, Legendary Custom Guitar Shop appeared first on Blackwing.

Like a Note in the Air: The Visual Art of Jerry Garcia

Andrew Nguyen — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:35:35 +0000

The name Jerry Garcia is synonymous with the Grateful Dead, legendary American rock band known for their lengthy instrumental jams and loyal fan base. But Garcia’s artistic talents extended far beyond his virtuosic guitar playing and distinctive vocals. An accomplished visual artist, Garcia also possessed an innate ability to translate his improvisational musicianship onto canvas, creating a body of work as vibrant and eclectic as the music he produced.

Garcia’s journey into visual arts began at a young age and was nurtured at the San Francisco Art Institute, but his focus shifted to music after a life-changing car accident in 1961. Despite this shift, Garcia never abandoned his passion for visual art. Much like his approach to music, Garcia’s art was characterized by spontaneity, playfulness, and a spirit of exploration. His preferred mediums were watercolors and ink, both of which allowed him to express his creativity freely and directly.

In his watercolors, Garcia’s use of vibrant shapes and saturated colors created pieces that radiated warmth and vitality. His landscapes, often representing sky, earth, and water, conveyed a rich and generous spirit. Garcia also favored the immediacy of ink, a medium that leaves no room for corrections. His ink works, characterized by brief, lively strokes, demonstrated his talent for creating powerful art with minimal elements.

Garcia’s visual art was influenced by Picasso, Ernst, Klee, Van Gogh, and the Expressionists, yet his work was undoubtedly his own. He filled sketchbooks with notes and drawings, creating pieces that were light-hearted and uninhibited. “A line on paper is like a note in the air,” he once said. Once it’s out there, there’s no taking it back. Garcia’s secret, apparently, was to just keep creating.

“A line on paper is like a note in the air.” —Jerry Garcia

Despite his modesty about his visual art—Garcia once quipped, “I hope no one takes them too seriously”—his work began to gain recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Today, Garcia’s visual art is part of several major public and private collections, testament to his enduring artistic legacy.

Blackwing Volume 710 is our tribute to Jerry Garcia and his fusion of visual and musical expression. A slice of his painting “Curves & Lines” is printed on each pencil, which features our soft graphite that is ideal for both drawing and songwriting.

Learn more about the Blackwing Vol. 710 Collection

The post Like a Note in the Air: The Visual Art of Jerry Garcia appeared first on Blackwing.

Beyond the Dead: Jerry Garcia’s Musical Legacy

Andrew Nguyen — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:35:20 +0000

Jerry Garcia’s name is etched in the annals of rock & roll history, primarily for his role as the lead guitarist and vocalist of the Grateful Dead. His musical journey was as vibrant as his visual art, characterized by a unique improvisational style, distinctive guitar sound, and smooth vocal performances.

Garcia was one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead, a band known for their blend of rock, folk, country, and jazz, and their improvised live performances. Garcia’s contribution to the band was immense, not just as a guitarist and vocalist, but also as a songwriter. His partnership with lyricist Robert Hunter resulted in some of the Dead’s most enduring songs, such as “Truckin’,” “Casey Jones,” and “Ripple.”

Garcia has long been known for his distinctive guitar style. He preferred to play by ear rather than stick strictly to scales, resulting in riffs and solos that were spontaneous and expressive, like melodic narratives that mirrored the storytelling of the band’s lyrics. His technique was also unique, often employing a “sliding” style that lent a fluid, almost voice-like quality to his guitar playing.

Jerry playing “Wolf” at the Hart Civic Center, New Haven, CT, May 10, 1980.

Garcia played numerous custom-made guitars during his career, most notably the “Wolf,” “Tiger,” and “Rosebud” built by luthier Doug Irwin. These instruments were special not just in their appearance, but also in their onboard effects and customized electronics, which allowed Garcia to shape his sound extensively. He liked to play with an Adamas 2mm graphite guitar pick and employed a technique called “scalpel picking” to achieve his distinctive tone. In a 1978 interview with Guitar Player Magazine, Jerry said: “The way I hold the pick is a bit strange, I guess. I don’t hold it in the standard way, but more like you hold a pencil.” Strange, perhaps, but wildly effective.

“I don’t hold it in the standard way, but more like you hold a pencil.”

Unique to Garcia’s musical journey was his continuous exploration and experimentation with sound. This was reflected not only in the Grateful Dead’s music but also in his side projects. Garcia was involved in various other bands, including the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, Old & in the Way, and the bluegrass supergroup, Old & in the Gray. These avenues allowed him to explore genres outside of the Dead’s repertoire, further demonstrating his musical versatility.

Jerry Garcia’s impact on music extends far beyond his work with the Grateful Dead. His innovative guitar style, distinctive sound, and relentless pursuit of musical exploration have left an indelible mark on the world of music.

SHOP BLACKWING 710

Learn more about the Blackwing Vol. 710 Collection

The post Beyond the Dead: Jerry Garcia’s Musical Legacy appeared first on Blackwing.