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Last month I had the honor of speaking to Emma Straub. I won’t pretend to know all her titles, but they include writer, bookstore owner of Books are Magic, and mother. In this conversation we talk about all the things— what it’s like to own a store, the balance between work and writing, the power books have, reading levels, and supporting a love of reading with your kids.
I would also direct your attention to a lovely interview between Brooklyn Book Bodega and Colleen Callery, Marketing and Communications Manager for Books are Magic about their work to bring books to young readers in NYC.
If you are interested in donating books to Brooklyn Book Bodega you can find out how to do so here.
And if you are looking for a reading challenge, events, or your next favorite book, or monthly updates on kids books, Books are Magic is all you will ever need.
Interview Transcript
Olivia: First of all I know it’s good practice to thank you for your time. But I really mean it. Not to gush to hard, but I really appreciate you being here.
Emma Straub: My pleasure!
O: My first question is a little silly but when I was thinking about what to ask you, I couldn’t not ask, what it is like to turn the key, open the door and step into your very own bookstore and see your books on the shelf?
E: That’s a wonderful question. No one has ever asked me that before. There is no period of time that I love more. It is my favorite time of day in the bookstore. I am rarely alone and it’s just wonderful. I am so proud of this space and the truth is that I am the worst employee. In terms of the actual function, the staff is soo good and so fantastic, they really keep this store humming. So my job really is to wander around like a friendly ghost and just talk to people and gush about books and answer questions, help people find things. But yes, I am really really proud. It feels wonderful. But to answer the other part of your question, seeing my books on the shelf that’s where it gets complicated. The other day a woman came into the bookstore and was asking for recommendations and everything she was saying totally fit my books. I gave her a stack of great books, but at the end I did say, the next time you come, I’ll talk to you about my books. I would never want to feel like I’m putting a customer in a weird position. I leave people to make my own decisions about my books.
O: It is tricky. We are in the age of total self promotion, but there is an ick factor so I definitely can appreciate that. I realized after I asked you this question that some people will know the experience of owning a bookstore, and some people will know the experience of visiting their books on the shelf, but very few people get to experience both and I am so delighted that you still appreciate that still and are not totally weighed down by all the responsibilities of running a business.
E: The last couple of years, but really all the years we’ve been open have been really difficult in ways I had anticipated and ways I hadn’t. I would say that it is hard everyday, and is more special when I have the real gratitude moment.
O: I remember when Book are Magic opened. I was living in the neighborhood at the time and Book Court had closed and it felt like a death in the family. And then when you opened, not to long after it was totally welcome because it was totally needed. I don’t think anyone sees a bookstore opening and think, “nah, not necessary.” It is always needed.
E: Yeah, and we wouldn’t have opened if Book Court hadn’t closed. That was the one and only reason we opened, because we lived in the neighborhood and I refused to live in a neighborhood without a bookstore. It seems so demented now, but at the time the easiest clearest answer was to open our own bookstore. Like that was the solution. And so we did.
O: I love that story. I’m so interested as to how you came from that idea to the actually of opening, but I really want to ask you about your balance between writer and bookstore owner. Being a writer is so private, but owing a store is more involved, it’s more social, it’s a totally different thing. I just wonder how that balance is for you?
E: I certainly have a lot of writer friends who are introverted and dread interviews, but I’m not. I’m loud and chatty and I really like being around people. When I worked at Book Court in my 20’s that was just pure pleasure. Just staying in one place and interesting people came all day. It was terrific. And now my favorite part is still that community. The community of booksellers, neighbors and customers, and the community of writers. Obviously with the pandemic the way that that looks has changed several times over. But I am still in touch with more writers than I ever have been which I just love. I feel really lucky. But it is not a job all writers should have. It depends. So right now I am not writing anything so I am in the bookstore more. And when I’m writing I’m there less. But I think my husband and I have done well to have the staff there so that the store functions well even if I’m not there. Like I said, I’m really just a noisy nuisance.
O: Sounds like you have a great balance, that your equilibrium is not too disrupted, which is wonderful. So I know that you do a lot of work in literacy advocacy and I think you are very attuned to the power books actually have. I wonder what you’d say to a kid who is maybe not the most enthusiastic reader.
E: For me personally, books are escape, like TV too obviously, but there is nothing like a book to drop you into someone’s point of view. But in terms of kids, both my kids are very different readers, but what they have in common and my greatest pleasure is when I’m snuggled up and reading books to them. And so it’s not even about the books it more about showing them that reading is love. Its closeness, physical and emotional and that is what I love the most about reading with kids. And maybe that’s the piece is missing for these kids because it’s not a shared activity, or they are reading books about kids that don’t look like them or they’re not interested in. So if they are not interested in books maybe they haven’t been exposed to the right books yet. A great writer who I admire very much was bemoaning her kids reading graphic novels and wanted them to stop and I hear this a lot. The graphic novels that are being published today are just incredible. My 8 year old loves Nathan Hale, which are non-fiction graphic novels and it means he’s learning all kinds of stuff. I think parents look down on that, but I don’t think you should. I don’t think there should be any shame in reading. Sorry that was such a crazy long answer to a simple question.
O: Not at all. I think you are touching on a couple of things here. This idea of shame in reading. There are all these rules around books like comics are not good enough, but then shakespeare is not for you either, and these rules around what kids can and cannot read. As a writer and teacher I can’t say I understand 100% of a poem I am reading. The goal is more to develop a relationship with reading., having it be communal, being something you enjoy and finding the things you love is a perfect answer.
E: Parents get really hung up on a reading level. But my 8 year old still reads picture books for pleasure. I think the parents that are worried about that should take that off the list, I mean there is so much to worry about these days.
O: I completely agree. I was going to ask for my final question how you develop a reading relationship with you children, but we’ve somewhat covered that already.
E: The ugly truth as with anything, the more I parent I find you’re always modeling your relationship to everything, to food, to tv, to arguments. We’re always showing our kids how we feel about things all day long. So if your kids see you reading and see books in your house they’ll see that it’s a part of daily life. It’s easy for me to say that because there are certain ways I have totally ruined my children like my kids won’t eat anything. And somehow I have done that. So I am not speaking from a place of perfection. But with books I feel like that’s the one thing I can help with.
O: I like that alot. I’d like to be the best version of parent, but I can only really lean into the things I can demonstrate well day in and day out. You say it’s an ugly truth, I say it’s a great comfort- show your kids the things you love, do it together, enjoy it together. Pretty doable.
And if you are interested in in-person and remote book clubs + writing classes for kids 8-13 you can email me for more info olivia.mardwig@gmail.com
Interview with Emma Straub