From Shelf Awareness:
Open Books Drops Readings, Promotes ‘Communal’ Events
In an unusual move that runs against the grain of independent bookselling trends, Open Books: A Poem Emporium, Seattle, Wash., last month began a new policy of no longer hosting poetry readings. Owners John Marshall and Christine Deavel said in a store post that the reasons were “various and cumulative.” [. . .]
Instead, Marshall and Deavel want to emphasize “events in which the participation is more communal.” These kinds of events include the Poetry in Conversation series; recitation gatherings, evenings at which people who’ve memorized a poem or two recite them; and a Poetry Trivia: Not a Redundancy event. Open Books is also continuing its relationship with the Seattle Arts & Lectures Poetry Series and expanding cooperative ventures with literary organizations such as APRIL and the Hugo House.
Please read the full article here. Share your thoughts about traditional readings vs. alternative events in comments.