After spending this past weekend at two of LA's notable independent book sellers, Skylight Books in Los Feliz and The Last Bookstore in DTLA, I realized that if you're ever in need of mental invigoration, a bookstore is the place to recharge.
A splurge on books can leave your pockets turned inside-out, but as a starving student with enough assigned reading material to last well into the 22nd century, I found gifts of prose in smaller sizes to wet my literary appetite. From Jane Austen anecdotes to pocket sized California hiking guides, these bookstores have a pint-sized something for everyone who can only afford a little bit of lit.
Just walking through a bookstore is a soul-quenching experience. My mantra in library stacks has always been: "If these books could talk," followed by a fulfilled sigh of relief. The feeling certainly translates in these non-mega-chain bookstores. In my current state of English-lit-major-overload I resort to literary journals and magazines for a taste of something timely and refreshing, without the commitment of novel length proportion. Skylight houses tiny independent zines by local collaborators worth perusing for such an occasion.
While in The Last Bookstore, I stumbled upon a monthly publication that has been in print since 1912, but totally new to my vocabulary. Poetry magazine features the work of heavy-hitting contemporary poets and the material could not be more relevant and exciting. Past issues include Ezra Pound's infamous, "In a Station of the Metro" and T.S. Eliot's chilling dramatic monologue, "The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock."This month's issue features Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Garcia and many more noteworthy contemporary poets. At $3.75 a copy, your bank account can handle the investment and your mind will thank you for the brain food.
Rhythm and meter not your cup-o-tea? There are also free events held at both stores to promote current writers and artists alike from every medium.
Whether it's a new book, novelty pin or button or attending an event—these bookstores are here for the public and are brick and mortar homes to that magic we call art.
