Bookshop Santa Cruz presents Ann Patchett at Santa Cruz High on Nov. 18.
In the media, the bell is always tolling for the book industry, especially indie bookstores. But not everybody sees it that way. In fact, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author Ann Patchett is feeling downright upbeat about the state of indie bookselling.
And Patchett has a better view of the landscape than most, being both a celebrated author invited to tour at bookstores around the country, and the co-owner of her own bookstore, Parnassus Books in Nashville, which opened in 2011.
“Based on how things are going at Parnassus, and what I see happening at the stores I visit on book tours, I'm feeling very positive about the health and well being of independent bookstores,” she says.
She credits the innovation of indies like Bookshop Santa Cruz—which is presenting a reading from her new memoir This is the Story of a Happy Marriage on Nov. 18—and says author events are a crucial part of their success.
“Author events have been very important for us,” says Patchett, who just had Edwidge Danticat at her store. “Having authors come in is one of the key differences between the brick and mortar experience and on-line shopping. We're making the connection between readers and writers. You have the chance to introduce people to your store who you might not otherwise have brought in, and hopefully they'll keep coming back.”
Casey Coonerty Protti, owner of Bookshop Santa Cruz, says she’s seen how important author events are at her store, as well.
“Bookshop has always been about the ways that books can connect people, and the discussions that come out of that,” says Protti. “It’s about taking the bookstore experience to another level that you can’t get online.”
Patchett’s event is one of several for which tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 9am. Her reading on Nov. 18 (7pm) is at Santa Cruz High; the $30.45 ticket also includes a copy of This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, which she’ll be signing.
Also on sale today are:
SHERMAN ALEXIE: The acclaimed author of the collection The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven comes to Bookshop to talk about and sign the paperback release of his most recent book of short stories, Blasphemy. His Sept. 30 appearance (7pm) is at Santa Cruz High; the $18.50 ticket also includes a copy of Blasphemy.
BILL BRYSON: Following up on his unorthodox history book from 2010, At Home: A Short History of Private Life, the bestselling author’s latest is One Summer: America 1927. In it, he looks at the harmonic and not-so-harmonic convergence of Al Capone, Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh and more over one summer in America. He’ll discuss and sign One Summer at Santa Cruz High on Oct. 9 (7pm); the $31.50 ticket includes a copy of the book.
BILLY COLLINS: The two-term U.S. poet laureate will read from and sign his newest collection, Aimless Love, at the UCSC Recital Hall on Nov. 8 (7pm). Tickets will be sold by row and are $28.50; each ticket includes a copy of Aimless Love.
Bookshop is hosting more authors than ever before this fall season; besides these off-site events, in-store events include appearances by Jonathan Franzen, Gary Soto, Laurie King and more.
For Patchett, owning a bookstore has led to a new realization of the value of these events.
“All the years booksellers thanked me for coming to their store, I thought they were just being polite,” she says. “Now I really understand—the author comes in, and you sell books. It's a win for the author, the bookseller, and the reader.”
All tickets for Bookshop Santa Cruz events are available in the store or online at bookshopsantacruz.com. Author books not yet released can also be pre-ordered at bookshopsantacruz.com.
