You know by now – at least, you do if you read yesterday’s post – that I found a new bookshop in a neighboring town. To say I’m over the moon at finding a new independent bookseller is putting it mildly. The nearest town to us – a college town – has a used bookstore and an independent bookstore, but the I find the sparseness of the selections available at our little indie very frustrating. So I rarely go in there.
But just a hop, skip and a jump away is Postmark Books, in Rosendale, NY. The shop just opened a week ago. (A link to their Facebook page.) It is simply lovely and beautifully designed.
Copper covered table with Father’s Day books on display.
Jesse and Maggie.
Don talking to Jesse and Maggie, all the while clutching our “new” Judy Collins album. That wrapping paper you see by the counter is by Rifle Paper Co. There is also a display to the right of the counter of Rifle Paper Co. stationery. I love their designs so I was very happy to see them there. Thanks, Maggie!
Look at the gorgeous interior of this shop. Wouldn’t you like to spend an hour or two there?
This book lover and constant reader feels like Jesse knows exactly what I am interested in, as well as new-to-me books I wouldn’t ordinarily see in any old chain bookstore. (I’m talking to you, Barnes & Noble.)
Two beautiful gray chairs are in a corner in the front of the store. Just perfect for book exploration.
(All flower displays are by Maggie.)
A charming display of greenery on the shelves dedicated to gardening.
A close-up of the tin that covers the walls and ceilings. Be still my heart. I’d like this in my kitchen, please.
Shop kitty.
More flowers from Maggie.
Oh my heavens. Can I just move in?
Facing the entrance.
When it comes to my bookshop design dreams, I can’t imagine anything more perfect than this. I cannot wait to go back. When I do go back, I’ll take my big girl camera with me. I hope to interview Maggie and Jesse again. Frankly, I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the shop and the abundance of good books that I can’t remember everything we talked about. And we talked for a long time!
I do know that Jesse told me he loves to read and became frustrated when he realized that he would either have to travel north to Woodstock for a good independent bookstore or settle for Barnes & Noble. That’s when he decided to open his shop. And aren’t we lucky he did?
More will be coming, I promise.
Happy Tuesday.
Wow, they have made the store beautiful. I looked at their face book page and you see how much they have done. Good job, it is so hard for a small business to make it these days. I wish them the best.
Me too. That is why I am going to do my best to publicize this shop.
I want to live there! Beautiful shop and surrounded by books, perfect!
hugs,
Linda
Let’s move in, Linda!
What a find! Beautiful store – I wish them success!
I do, too. I want this shop to become a staple of the neighborhood.
What a beautiful, inviting place. I do hope they survive!
I’m going to think very positively!
The smiles on their faces reflect their pride and excitement! What a beautiful store and how exciting for you and Don to have a new place to visit regularly! I wish them all the best.
I love that I can now get to a very good independent bookstore in about 15 – 20 minutes. Worth it!
What a wonderful bookstore! Complete with a shop kitty…couldn’t ask for more! I would love more posts about this store and the owners. And, I’m sure they would love the publicity! You are so lucky to have them in your neighborhood! ;)
I will definitely do another post or two. I need to interview them!
What a great find! I would need hours there. However, just from your photos i picked out my first book. All I could see of the title was “The Natural World of Winnie…”. but I am assuming it is about the world Winnie the Pooh lives in.
There are 2 indy booksellers not too far from me, and I love them both.
The indy vs. the big business reminds me of the movie “You’ve Got Mail.”
I can’t wait for you to go back.
I saw that, too, and I wanted it immediately!
Such a lovely bookstore, I do hope they do well, their heart and soul is in it you can see
I know. I want to see it full of customers!
Oh what beautiful place! And books too? Paradise.
Exactly!
I haven’t seen a nice shop like that in years…and I don’t mean just books. It’s so newish and neat and clean, plus the displays of plants, books, florals, etc. have been arranged with much thought to suit the customer. Oh, and the shop kitty; that alone would stop me in my tracks!
It seems like the only indy bookshops I’ve been in lately are all used books. Sometimes, I just need to have a brand-new book. I dunno; it’s self-indulgent…but sometimes I need a reward; a treat. A bookstore like this and a record store were the great indulgences of my past (I’m remembering the Seventies…).
I saw a televised concert a few days ago by the singer/songwriter Richard Marx; he had a lot of hits in the 80s (I consider him the generation following ours; I think he’s in his early 50s now). He gave a really heartfelt observation at the end of the show, in an interview with the host, about how different life is today…the business…for a songwriter especially, and how it’s a whole different world than ‘the old days’ of having the backing of a record label and, before that, putting together a ‘cassette’ with your name and phone number on it, trying to get known with anyone who could help promote you. It’s all internet-driven today in ways I don’t fully comprehend because I’m not one who downloads music but his opinion was that an artist really can’t make it today…for a living…as a songwriter the way he could all those years ago (which he also said was lucrative). And this was the most key thing I thought he said in the interview (echoing my own thoughts, which I think I’ve voiced here before with you): In the ‘olden times’, with the record stores, we made a real ceremony of bring home a album (LP) and going on an actual musical journey with that artist, listening to ALL the songs on the album and really getting into the continuity/order of songs/content the artist intended. Nowadays, we’ve lost a certain special-ness in that everybody loads their handheld device with hundreds if not thousands of songs (he said he does it, too) but it’s generally the hits, not the Side Bs, and he said he felt we’ve lost something with, not only that, but also the accessibility/availability of instant music…like, ‘okay, I have that now, I can listen to it anytime’. Whereas, say in the 60s and 70s, your special song would come on the radio and you’d stop everything. He talked about how people will listen to the music on their phones now while they’re checking email or doing Facebook, and are they really listening to the songs; are they giving the music their full attention. We are so distracted. There’s a lot of busy-ness in our lives. I had to think about this for a minute, but he said we’ve all fallen a little bit into attention-deficit territory.
Was it you or one of your readers who recently said…I think it was you…that even though we can get a movie-on-the-ready with Netflix or from where we’ve stored it on our DVRs off cable (or in a home library of DVDs), there’s something very engaging about seeing an old favorite suddenly appear on Turner Classic Movies as you’re channel surfing. I found myself doing that a couple of days ago. Two movies…Elia Kazan’s “Splendor in The Grass” (the great William Inge) and “Picnic” (William Inge again) with William Holden and Kim Novak (with that incredible cinematography by James Wong Howe). Enough to make me rearrange myself on the sofa with a fresh cup of something hot to drink…and just sink into it; what was right for that moment. It WAS more special; the spontaneity of it. Reminded me of when, in our house growing up, you’d notice a movie was going to be shown (the paper TV Guide magazine), and you’d get all set up for it, because you’d never know when they’d play it again. These were mini ‘events’ for us ‘regular’ people/families. I’m probably not explaining any of this well and I fear I’m repeating from another time, but I had to agree with Richard Marx…we’ve lost something along the way…but, you see, you’ve also found a way to get some of it back, Judy Collins clutched in hand…
I do the same thing. Used is fine for some books, but others? I want new.
Don has been saying much the same as Richard Marx for several years. It’s not a good time for artists and record labels and the chance to make it. They get very little money for their releases. People can stream them for nothing. That’s not good for the artist. The only way most artists of any stature can make money is to tour. As for other artists? Forget it. It’s very depressing.
I miss the event of buying a new album, reading the liner notes, listening to every track in order, just like the artist conceived it. I think I spent the vast majority of my youth in record and book stores. Sigh.
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I well remember my 20s where, on Friday night after work (payday), you’d find me at the record store. It was the same thrill as going to the library when I was a kid, coming home for the weekend with an armload of books.
We can probably think, any of us, about lots of things we’ve sacrificed in the name of progress. I was thinking just the other day about how healthy, in some aspects, my ancestors were…farm people, eating their own grass-fed beef, growing abundant veggie gardens, picking fruit off their own trees and preserving it for winter, their bed sheets on the line being dried by sun and the sweet smell of a breeze. Eating good homemade bread from flour that was never from chemically-sprayed wheat in a field. You could go on and on with that. But they also suffered terribly from childhood disease (now eradicated in a later century); pests that could destroy a crop and a livelihood; etc. Then there’s the whole thing of them waiting months for a letter from someone; getting world news a month after it happened. Smalls towns across America and isolated farms where that same news of the world did in fact seem worlds away. And I think, maybe that wasn’t so bad. Nowadays, saturated with 24-hr news, a lot of us are news-weary. But simpler times (and hard physical work of daily life without modern-day appliances and tools/machines) didn’t come without other sacrifice. We can’t go backward. And I try, yet feel wary of the world’s future. I’d been talking with Mom about that before she died. We were speaking of global warming, nuclear threat; Recession…but then she reminded me of what it was like to grow up in The Great Depression, going pretty much right into the second world war (losing our young men and women in service; shortages/rationing at home). We keep surviving. But I also think we baby boomers are sentimental about stuff we wish we could get back (not all of it; some of it), with the generations following us never even knowing why we miss those things. They’ve never seen a typewriter. You can’t even give away a console piano these days. They’ll never know the anticipation of dialing on a rotary phone. They really don’t ‘get’ handwritten letters and notes. Does anybody even listen to the radio anymore? To borrow from you above…sigh. Double sigh.
(Maybe it’s why my husband likes to go hammer something in the shed. Or why a crafty sort of person will use his/her hands to make something…a doll house[!], some curtains; a homemade pie.) I recently bought a book for my husband entitled “Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work” by Matthew Crawford who has a PhD in political philosophy from the Univ of Chicago but who also operates a motorcycle repair shop. Review: “Crawford reveals the satisfactions of the active craftsman who cultivates his own judgment rather than being a passive consumer subject…the book offers a passionate call for self-reliance and a moving reflection on how we can live concretely in an evermore abstract world…it brings alive an experience that was once quite common but now seems to be receding from society–the experience of making and fixing things with our own hands…the manual trades require careful thinking and are punctuated by moments of genuine pleasure…Crawford makes a case for the intrinsic satisfactions and cognitive challenges of manual work…such work instills the pride that comes from doing work that is genuinely useful…”
Anyway…
Sounds like a wonderful book – a powerful one. Some things weren’t so great; segregation, woman as second class citizens – it’s a long list. But as to the quality of life, I think it was better when we took the time to listen to an album, when artists were paid for their creations, when things were an ‘event’, when we weren’t saturated with news twenty-four hours a day. I miss taking home a new album, shutting my door, turning on the stereo and listening – often for several hours – to the new Chicago album, for example. I miss discovering new music just by flipping through the records in a store. Ah, well.
What’s this? They even have a shop kitty? That clinches the deal for me. Hope they’ll ship books because then I’ll have an indie bookshop of my very own. I don’t mind paying a little extra if it means helping to keep a couple of Americans – and fellow New York Staters – in cornflakes and Campbell’s soup.
PS – I’m not a nationalist at all, but I will gladly pay 50 cents extra for a pair of socks that was made in America. That is, if I could find some. As we should have learned by now, we need to be supporting and encouraging LOCAL trade first. Once ours is healthy and vibrant, we can look into ways to save the economies of other countries. End of soapbox – grin. ??
I’ll find out whether they ship, Janet. If you go to their FB page, you’ll probably find the shop number. They are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, but are open every other day. LOCAL, yes!
Well, after my comment yesterday you know how I feel about the “box box bookstores”. I find your new shop absolutely perfect. Flowers, plants, books and kitty’s too! And the tin! Oh my goodness. I would like that on my kitchen ceiling please. Thank you for sharing and I’m looking forward to your interview with them and more shop pictures.
Blessings,
Betsy
Ooh, wouldn’t that look great on a kitchen ceiling? I was thinking I’d like some in lieu of a backsplash.
Just beautiful and so inviting! So many independent bookstores are dark and dingy. Hope they do very well.
It is very inviting, Susan. It’s everything I’ve hoped for in a neighborhood bookshop!
How wonderful! Passionate owners who pay attention to detail; a nice fresh clean interior; books; and a kitty. I’d be there often. :)
It has everything, Tammy.
Oh, I wish I lived closer! What a charming bookstore. Actually, the whole town seems charming, so I think a day trip is in order!
It’s small, but very charming, Sylvia.
I looked at more pictures on their Facebook page..just beautiful…and I love to explore any shop with a shop cat…I would love a place like this in our town…
I sure hope they can build up a loyal clientele, Nancy. They deserve it.
What a gorgeous bookstore! Yes, I would definitely spend hours in there. When Brian and I were in Evanston on Sat (just wrote about it on my blog), one of our stops was the independent bookstore – Bookends and Beginnings. We always stop there when we’re in Evanston. We didn’t buy anything this time, but we did last time we were in. I try to support independent bookshops whenever possible. How lovely that you and Don had a nice chat with the owners, too!
Yes to independent bookshops! There’s nothing like them, Melanie.
Road Trip and a long Retreat!
Yay!
Absolutely perfect! The very best of luck to them. I know you’ll do your part to keep them up and running!
I intend to, Kathy!
Thank you for sharing your photos of such a beautiful store, there is nothing quite like the smell of a bookshop and the feel of a book as you open it.
One of the best things there is, Angela!
Wow! That is a beautiful place to shop, read and relax! :D
I know – can’t wait to go there again, Brae.
Opening a new indie bookstore these days is a little like swimming upstream in these days of Internet-based sales and big-box stores. But that’s precisely why it’s so important to support the brave and talented souls who do it.
A great little bookstore is a treasured space. You can browse, spend hours looking over the selections – and they’re really selections, curated with knowledge and a love of reading rather than a computer printout – and you always feel at home.
I’ve not been to Postmark Books yet – we live 950 miles away – but we’re planning a visit next week. I can’t wait to see the little gem Jesse and Maggie have created!
They are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, so make sure you schedule your visit for a day that they’re open, Elisson.
This shop is owned by my cousin, Jesse. I’m way up in Vermont so haven’t been able to visit yet, so thanks for the lovely photos! He and Maggie are living out my own dream, so I’m glad to hear that people are excited about their store. Spread the word!!
It’s a wonderful shop. They have created such a beautiful haven, Emilie. I am VERY excited about the store and I plan on spreading the word. Hope you can see it soon, Emilie!
Jesse and Maggie are the greatest. THE NICEST PEOPLE. They deserve all the success. Please support this beautiful store and these beautiful people. Tell your friends and neighbors! Better yet – buy your friends a book :) and flowers! :)
I will definitely support the store. They were so lovely to talk to the other day and I really look forward to spending more time there.
Thank you both so much for stopping in to chat, and for this amazing, unexpected write-up! You’ve picked up on everything we tried to do with the store — just make a nice space for readers to come and pass the time. I know you’re a true book-lover and we’re here for you. :)
Thank you, Jesse. Hope to see you very soon indeed!
And I’m glad Rudie got involved, guarding her little Grumpy Bear with her life!
Rudie is adorable!
So beautiful! :-)
It’s a great bookshop, Regula.