>> LOOK AT ALL THE SIZES AND
SHAPES.
JUST KIND OF CELEBRATING SHARING
OF IDEAS.
>> I DEFINITELY THINK IT IS A
VALUABLE EXPERIENCE TO BE IN A
PLACE SURROUNDED BY BOOKS.
>> IN THIS DIGITAL AGE OF eBOOKS
AND ONLINE SHOPPING, A BELOVED
AND ALMOST CENTURY-OLD STORY
CONTINUES TO THRIVE.
JOIN US TODAY AS WE VISIT THE
NEW DOMINION BOOKSHOP.
COME ON.
>> WE WERE KIND OF JUST
EXPLORING CHARLOTTESVILLE, AND
WE LOVE BOOKSTORES.
ANYTIME WE SEE ONE, WE LIKE TO
GO IN, AND THIS JUST LOOKED LIKE
A REALLY CUTE SPACE.
>> IT KINDA HAS A VINTAGE VIBE
OUR GENERATION JUST REALLY
APPRECIATES THAT.
>>WE THINK IT WAS STARTED AROUND
1924 BY A UVA GRADUATE
IT WAS BOUGHT BY CHRISTOPHER
COLUMBUS WELLS IN 1926.
HE OWNED IT FOR ALMOST 60 YEARS
IT BECAME FAMOUS AS THE LOCAL
BOOKSHOP
YOU COULD SEE ALL OF
CHARLOTTESVILLE PASSING THROUGH
YOU COULD GET THE DAYS NEWS, THE
GOSSIP, THE NEWEST TITLES.
ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEES BOUGHT THE
SHOP FROM HIM AND MOVED IT
ACROSS THE STREET TO THIS
LOCATION, WHICH WAS A SHOE
STORE.
HER HUSBAND REDID IT.
AND MADE IT INTO THIS BEAUTIFUL
SPACE IT IS TODAY
>> AND SHE PASSED AWAY
UNEXPECTEDLY.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER
AND THE ROLE SHE PLAYED IN THE
COMMUNITY THROUGH THE STORE.
>> I THINK EVERYONE KNEW CAROL
AND EVERYONE TRUSTED HER
RECOMMENDATIONS.
SHE WAS ABLE TO GIVE SO MANY
PERSONAL RECK MINUTEDATIONS TO
PEOPLE.
SHE HAD IMPECCABLE TASTE.
THE COLLECTIONS IN GARDENING AND
ARCHITECTURE WERE PARTICULARLY
STRONG, BUT THE SHOP WAS SO MUCH
ABOUT HER TASTE AND HER LEGACY.
>> WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO COME AND
TAKE OVER THE STORE?
>> WELL, I THINK LIKE ANY LIFE
DECISION THERE WERE MANY THINGS
THAT BROUGHT ME HERE.
I HAD BEEN WORKING FOR CAROL
SELLING BOOKS AT A READING
SERIES I STARTED OVER IN BELMONT
CALLED THE CHARLOTTESVILLE
READING SERIES.
I STARTED SELLING FOR CAROL
THERE AND THEN DOING SOME SOCIAL
MEDIA, SO I WAS CONNECTED WITH
IT WHEN SHE PASSED AWAY.
AND I CONTACTED HER HUSBAND.
I SAID, I KNOW THIS IS A VERY
DIFFICULT TIME FOR THE SHOP, AND
I ASKED IF HE WOULD HIRE ME AS
THE MANAGER, UNDERSTANDING
SOMEDAY I WOULD BUY THE SHOP.
>> THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT
TRADITIONS HERE THAT YOU'RE
CARRYING ON IN THE SHOP, BUT YOU
ALSO HAVE SOME NEW IDEAS AND NEW
GOALS.
TALK ABOUT BOTH.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS I'M DOING,
I'M CERTAINLY NOT TRYING TO
REINVENT THE WHEEL.
THIS IS SUCH AN AMAZING SHOP,
AND WE HAVE SUCH A LOYAL
CLIENTELE.
WE'RE TRYING TO REACH OUT AND DO
THINGS LIKE STORY TIME.
WE'RE STARTING A NEW OPEN MIC
NIGHT TO GET YOUNG WRITERS AND
READERS INTO THE SHOP.
>> SO FRIDAY NIGHT WRITES IS
REALLY TRYING TO SERVE AS AN
OUTLET TO HIGH SCHOOL AND
COLLEGE STUDENTS IN A WAY THAT I
THINK THERE'S NOT MANY OTHER
PLACES IN CHARLOTTESVILLE THAT
PRESENT THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY,
BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF OPEN
MICS, BUT I DON'T THINK LITERARY
FOCUSED ONES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
ARE A COMMON THING.
>> A DAY WILL COME WHEN MY
POETRY IS NOT A SLAVE FOR YOU
LIKE TO SMILE WHEN YOU LIE, HERE
MY MOTHER CROONED.
>> I THINK IT IS GREAT.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE
JUST BECAUSE I WANTED TO SHARE
MY WORK SO BAD.
>> YOU HEAR A LITTLE BIT OF
THEIR LIFE AND WHERE SOMEONE'S
COME FROM, A BACKGROUND THAT'S
DIFFERENT THAN YOURS OR
EXPERIENCES THAT ARE DIFFERENT
FROM YOURS, AND YOU LEARN FROM
THAT.
>> YOU TELL HIM ABOUT YOUR
TENDENCY TO BURST INTO FLOWERS.
YOU TELL HIM YOU WISH YOU COULD
STOP.
HE HAS A PENCIL AND A CLIPBOARD
AND A LITTLE PENLIGHT TO HELP
YOU SEE HIS PAPERS.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE TRIED
TO DO, WHICH IS THE THING
CONSISTENT WITH A NATIONAL
INDEPENDENT BUSINESS MODEL, IS
TO HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY
EVENTS IN THE SHOP TO USE THE
SHOP AS LIKE THIRD SPACE.
>> AND AUTHORS WHO CHOOSE THIS
BOOKSHOP TO SIGN THEIR BOOKS AND
RELEASE THEIR BOOKS AND TALK
ABOUT THEIR BOOKS, TALK ABOUT
SOME OF THESE WRITERS WHO COME
THROUGH.
>> WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE LINEUP
YEAR ROUND.
WE TRY TO HAVE THE FALL AND THE
SPRING SEASON KICKED OFF WITH A
BOOK FESTIVAL OF COURSE SINCE
THOSE ARE MAIN EVENT SEASONS,
BUT WE HAVE THREE LOCAL AUTHORS
WHO ARE INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN
WHO SUPPORT THE SHOP.
THEY HAVE CHOSEN THIS PLACE AS
THE PLACE THEY SIGN.
JOHN GRISHAM AND JAN CARON AND
MARGO LEE SHETTERLY, WHO WROTE
"HIDDEN FIGURES."
THOSE THREE ARE VERY HELPFUL TO
THE SHOP.
IT IS WONDERFUL TO GET CALLS
FROM PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
WHO WANT THEIR BOOKS SIGNED.
WE HAVE A CONTINUOUS SCHEDULE OF
PEOPLE COMING TO THE POETRY
FICTION, SOME NONFICTION.
>> ON FIRST FRIDAYS, YOU HAVE
ART EXHIBITS.
>> YEAH, WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE
IN HERE FOR ALL KINDS OF
REASONS.
IF THEY COME AND LOOK AT ART,
MAYBE THEY'LL ALSO BUY A BOOK OR
FIND SOMETHING THAT THEY
WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN OTHERWISE,
BUT WE HAVE A LOVELY GALLERY
SPACE.
>> ONE OF YOUR GOALS IS TO
REALLY SERVE THE WHOLE
COMMUNITY, AND THE BOOKS YOU
CHOOSE, YOUR COLLECTION, IS
BASED ON THIS GOAL.
TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S
VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU.
>> WELL, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES OF MY JOB
IS THAT I AM -- I'M THE MANAGER,
BUT I'M ALSO THE BOOK BUYER.
I'M THE PRIMARY BUYER.
READING "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
REVIEWS AND "THE WASHINGTON
POST" REVIEWS AND SEEING WHAT'S
IN THE ZEITGEIST FOR THE WEEK
AND KEEPING UP IS REALLY
IMPORTANT AS A BOOKSHOP BECAUSE
I CAN'T HAVE ALL THE BOOKS, BUT
WE TRY TO HAVE GOOD BOOKS.
>> I LIKE TO INTERACT WITH THE
PAPER, THE COVER, SEE THE
ARTWORK.
SEEMS MORE ALIVE TO ME.
>> JUST LIKE HOLDING A BOOK IS
SEEING PROGRESS.
YOU CAN FEEL IT.
THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY I
LOVE PHYSICAL HARD COPY BOOKS.
>> YOU CAN HAVE THEM WITH YOU IN
A LOT MORE SITUATIONS.
>> I AM A CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN
ARTIST, SO I PAINT MYSELF IN THE
CONTEMPORARY STYLE.
I PUBLISHED A BOOK ON WOMEN FROM
ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND IT
FOCUSES ON WOMEN OF COLOR.
>> HOW DO YOU SURVIVE?
HOW DOES AN INDEPENDENT
BOOKSTORE SURVIVE IN THIS DAY
AND AGE, THE DIGITAL AGE,
eBOOKS, CHAIN STORES?
AND PEOPLE LOVE TO SHOP.
>> IT IS.
IT'S BELOVED.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK YOU HAVE
TO DO IN GETTING NAME
RECOGNITION, HAVING PEOPLE FIND
YOU.
AND WE ARE CONTINUING THIS
TRADITION AND TRYING TO BRING IT
TO NEW PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE THAT
INCREDIBLE BASE.
THE WAY WE SURVIVE, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE WILL SOMETIMES SAY, WOW,
WHAT A LABOR OF LOVE.
I SAY, YES, IT IS, BUT IT IS
ALSO MY JOB.
I'M TRYING TO MAKE IT A
SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS.
I HAVE A STAFF OF NINE
EMPLOYEES.
IT'S THEIR WORK, AND IT'S THEIR
JOB.
THEY LOVE IT, AND THEY TAKE IT
REALLY SERIOUSLY, SO I THINK IT
IS A REALLY GOOD TIME FOR
INDEPENDENT BOOK SELLERS.
IT WAS A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME
IN THE 90s WHEN AMAZON AND THE
BIG BOX STORES CAME IN.
OUR MODEL IS NOT TO HAVE EVERY
SINGLE BOOK, BUT THAT WE CAN
ORDER IT AND HAVE IT IN TWO OR
THREE DAYS.
WE HAVE GOOD BOOKS.
WE HAVE A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE
WHO LOVE BOOKS AND LOVE
LEARNING.
WE'RE NEAR THE DOWNTOWN MALL, SO
WE HAVE AMAZING PEDESTRIAN
TRAFFIC.
>> RIGHT.
>> PART OF THE REASON PEOPLE
COME HERE AND LOOK AROUND.
THEY'RE LIKE, WOW.
THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL SPACE.
IT'S LIKE BOOK CHURCH FOR SOME
PEOPLE.
>> SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO MOVE
BACK TO GO FORWARD.
>> YOU'VE HAD BIG EVENTS.
YOU'VE HAD BIG EVENTS WHERE
YOU'VE RENTED OUT THE PARAMOUNT
THEATER AND YOU'RE ALSO
DELIVERING BOOKS.
>> BACK IN THE GOOD OLE DAYS,
PEOPLE WOULD CALL THE BOOKSHOP,
AND WE WOULD HAND DELIVER THEIR
ORDERS TO THEIR HOUSE.
IT WAS A VERY OLD-FASHIONED
SYSTEM.
THAT CONTINUES TODAY THROUGH
TIMBERLAKES DRUGSTORE, WHICH IS
RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
THEY DELIVER BOOKS TO
WESTMINSTER CANTERBURYS, TO THE
COLONNADES, TO THE COUNTRYSIDE.
WHEN PEOPLE GET THEIR
PRESCRIPTIONS, THEY CAN ALSO GET
THEIR BOOKS.
>> I LOVE THAT.
WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS WONDERFUL
BOOKSHOP DOWN THE ROAD?
HOW DO YOU ENVISION IT IN A
HANDFUL OF YEARS?
>> IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT
WHENEVER PEOPLE IMAGINE THE
FUTURE THEY ALWAYS IMAGINE,
WELL, THERE'S GOING TO BE
HOVERCRAFTS.
WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE WEARING
PLASTIC PANTS.
WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE LIVING ON
THE MOON.
WHEN WE MAKE PREDICTIONS, IT
SHOWS HOW COMPLETELY TRAPPED IN
THE PRESENT MOMENT WE ARE, SO
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THIS IS GOING
TO LOOK LIKE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO BE
THIS SAME MODEL FOREVER OR HOW
THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE WITH
BOOKS AND BOOK CULTURE, READING
CULTURE.
I HOPE THAT IT WILL ALWAYS BE A
PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND
READ AND SHARE STORIES AND FIND
THINGS THAT WILL CHANGE THEM,
MAKE THEM HAPPY.
BUT YEAH, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY
THERE'S GOING TO BE LIKE ROBOTS.
BOOKS ON ROBOTS.
>> WHAT DO YOU READ?
>> I TRY TO READ A LITTLE BIT OF
EVERYTHING.
AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE, I LIKE
BIOGRAPHY.
AS I GET OLDER, I FIND LIFE IS
SOMETIMES MORE INTERESTING THAN
EVEN FICTION, SO I TRY TO READ
AS BROADLY AS I CAN.
EVEN THE GENRES THAT DON'T
INTEREST ME.
>> I THINK INDEPENDENT
BOOKSTORES ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE
THEY MORE RESPOND TO WHAT PEOPLE
WANT TO READ VERSUS MAYBE
SETTING AN AGENDA FOR WHAT
PEOPLE SHOULD READ.
>> "THE SOUND AND THE FURY" BY
WILLIAM FAULKNER IS THE MOST
CHALLENGING BOOK I'VE EVER READ.
>> FICTION AND FANTASY.
I DON'T LIKE TO SAY IN THE REAL
WORLD.
IT IS TOO SERIOUS AND TOO MUCH
FOR ME SOMETIMES.
>> I LIKE READING BOOKS ON
ROMANCE ODDLY ENOUGH.
>> CULTURE AND LITERATURE AND
ARCHITECTURE AND COOKING.
THERE'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE,
YEAH.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> WHOEVER GETS PICKED WILL GET
A FREE BOOK FROM A DIFFERENT
BASKET.