Since September 11, "there's a lot more hugging than before" at Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe, Asheville, N.C., owner Emoke B'Racz told PW. "We're known as a safe, sane place, a comfort place. You'll see someone feeling awful come in, look around and feel better. They may or may not buy a book, but they feel better."
While sales dipped 11% in September, they were still off, but down less dramatically—4%—in October. B'Racz, PW's Bookseller of the Year in 2000, says she is not surprised by these results, calling them a "natural response to danger."
In a store known for its commitment to Southern literature, poetry and fiction, "conscious living" titles have increased in sales—although this trend was strong well before the events of September 11.
Of course, another change is that many more "people are looking at books and trying to understand the Middle East," B'Racz said. Current events titles are selling well even though the section remains tucked behind regional authors and women's titles. Books on display include Benjamin Barber's Jihad vs. McWorld (Ballantine); Michael Griffin's Reaping the Whirlwind (Pluto Press); The New Intifada, edited by Roane Carey (Verso Books); Karen Armstrong's Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet (HarperCollins); Yossef Bodansky's biography, Bin Laden (Prima Publishing); Edward Grazda's stunning photojournal, Afghanistan Diary 1992—2000 (Power House); and National Geographic's map of the Caspian Sea region.
Young adult titles are also selling well. The reason: Harry Potter's popularity. Parents want their children to continue reading, resulting in a boost in to Tolkien and Lemony Snicket books. B'Racz also attributes some of the popularity of children's books to a desire by customers to get "back to basics" and live simply.
Store traffic and event participation has held up during the past several months. Especially on weekends, locals and many tourists visit the store. The first weekend of November, authors competed with Malaprop's musical guests Lucinda Williams and Winton Marsalis, something that seemed to affect Anne LaBastille's Friday evening appearance, but not so much Jill McCorkle's Sunday afternoon reading.
Asked about holiday expectations, B'Racz philosophizes, "Learn to serve the chaos and be happy about it. Have the selection and it will happen or it won't." While she maintains a positive attitude, she cautions that the best course is not to expect anything.
