Bookies Bookstore The Xavierite
I love literature. In low moments, it’s my novels that call to me, joining the chorus my bed makes. At the end of the day, the written word always heals me, and it is a joy I love sharing. Now, I’m afraid that love has lost sustainability and that the possible closure of Bookies Bookstore, a store I love, will leave me lost.
In the fall, when I first moved to the south side, I didn’t know what to expect in terms of leisure. I was so concerned with getting to school that I forgot to consider the little things, like where I would spend my time, and how far stores were from campus. Bookies was a place I had seen on Google Maps a couple of times before, though I had no idea what to expect upon entry.
Back home in Hammond, Indiana, we don’t have any bookstores. One comic shop, but nowhere dedicated to novels and the like. If you wanted to buy books, you had to go two towns over. Even still, all the bookstores were tucked into shopping centers, or hidden in the back of the mall. And they were chains, no stand-alone shops for miles.
Because of all this, my first trip to Bookies overwhelmed me. There was so much I was dying to read, and I wanted it all at once. I found ambition and inspiration between the shelves. For so long my dream of being an author had been dreamed away from the culture I wanted to belong to. Here it was. The reality of it. Hundreds of books, and if I only kept going, mine would be next.
On top of that, it felt like I was finally allowed a bit of indulgence I couldn’t previously afford. Amazon and B&N had delivered to me a few good novels, but the process felt soulless. Bookies was only a short walk away from my dorm, and with moderation, I could afford book after book. Poetry, prose, sci-fi, mystery, horror. Finally, it was all mine.
I forced myself to purchase only two books during my first trip: “Armada” by Ernest Cline and “The Strange Case Of Jekyll & Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson. Since I’ve been introduced to Bookies, my library has grown tenfold.
Bookies is so singular because they cater to every age and demographic with care. There are sections for horror, plays, manga, fantasy, and a large space for children to sit and read. I find myself spending a lot of time near the classics, poetry, and sci-fi books. Beyond purchasing anything, the space itself makes me feel comforted.
They sell reading lights, bookmarks, stationery, and stickers. They understand that literature is not just an art form, it is a culture and a lifestyle. As such, they do whatever they can to support that lifestyle, whether it be selling candles and throwing pillows, or holding events that support local authors and the youth of the South Side. You’d be hard-pressed to find another business that gives so much care not just to what it sells, but also how it uses its space.
I think that bookstores traverse consumerism, and make themselves a necessity within the communities they are built in. In the introduction to his book “The Creative Gene”, video game designer Hideo Kojima says that he visits a bookstore every morning on his way to work.
For him, it is a way to center himself and put his finger on the pulse. Whatever is relevant takes precedence on the shelves, and readers get a sense of local and world events, even if they don’t read every book on the shelves.
With Bookies struggling to make their monthly sales quota, the South Side community is at risk of losing what I think is a part of its soul. If Bookies shuts down, kids will lose access to literature, authors lose a platform through which they can connect to their community, and I lose a vital part of my new home.
Whether you’re an avid reader or not, Bookies is not just a store, it is a comfort. It does more for the community than a big chain store ever could, and the people who work there have a firm dedication to what books can do for people.
So, if you find yourself in want of a good book, or just somewhere to disappear for a while, consider Bookies your refuge. I know it’s mine. And never forget the power a book can hold. Because literature does have value if you’ll only give it a chance.
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