Deep Vellum Books & Publishing - Dallas, TX

Deep Vellum Books & Publishing, Dallas, TX

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Readers, you know how I relate to you the uniqueness of all bookstores.  There is no cookie-cutter for how they should or shouldn't be.  But here's what I liked about Deep Vellum Books in Dallas.  I didn't recognize a single book they displayed.  That's right, and I loved it.  Deep Vellum takes its title of independent bookstore to the nth degree and only offers books by small independent presses.  The books they offer here are arranged by their publishers and you'll rarely see any of these at Barnes & Noble.  In fact, many of these can be hard to find at other independent bookstores.  For me, that's what makes this indie so much fun, finding books by new authors and publishers.

This bookstore is located in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas, surrounded by many restaurants, pubs, and night life, a very cool area.  Its name is a kind of pun on the neighborhood its located in.  The business actually began as a small press 5 years ago and then added the bookstore part 2 years ago.  The good news here is that things are going great and its small press business just published its 30th book.  Congrats Deep Vellum!

Plaque on outside of building noting historical significance.  

The store is a small one-level space with a corner location.  The building is recognized as a historic landmark which was the home for Leadbelly (Heddie Ledbetter), blues guitarist many years ago.  Deep Vellum does not offer the typical sidelines of other indies but does have frequent events in the store which are an important part of the business.  These include author events and readings as well as live music.  The events really help support the business with their sales of wine, beer, and coffee.  They also have some wonderful art work on their walls by local artists and these works are available for purchase.

I was very fortunate during my visit to meet and talk with Cristina, the store manager and I also got to meet Will E., the store owner and founder.  Both of these people are knowledgeable about small presses, their authors, and those books that are published.  When you visit this store, you will be meeting a couple of true experts in their field.

Having trouble picking out your next book?  Want to try something to impress your bookclub?  Make your way to Deep Vellum Books to browse their selection and lean on Will and Cristina for some great advice on your next book.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

JUST FINISHED:  Bastard Out Of Carolina, Dorothy Allison.  Fiction but undoubtedly a semi-autobiographical account of the author's childhood in the 1950s.  Born to a 15-year old single mother, this story depicts southern poverty among white families at its worse.  Fortunately for Bone, the book's main character, she is surrounded by multiple aunts, uncles, cousins, and a granny who try to help but are challenged by lack of education and booze.  Harrowing and stunning.  I thought this book was outstanding.  Highly recommended.

CURRENTLY READING:  The Evolution Of Bruno Littlemore,  Benjamin Hale.

RECENTLY PURCHASED:  Stephen Florida, Gabe Habash.  Nightmare In Berlin, Hans Fallada.  

Another exterior view.  

Sign outside Deep Vellum, a Dallas bookstore.  I live in the midwest.  Everything is relative!

One of the exterior display windows.  

View looking into the store from the front entrance.  Habitual readers may recognize the celebrity on the left.  Yes, that's my mom.  

View looking to the left from the front entrance and a wall of books by small independent presses.  

View looking to the right from the front entrance.  

Some of the small presses with books in the store.  Books are shelved according to publishers.  

A couple of great places to sit and sample a book.  Or a wine.  

Lots of books facing with the covers out.  A great thing for the indies who have the space to do this.  

Have a seat and try a book.  

Take time to check-out the art work around the store by local artists, much of it available for purchase.  

Lots of great work in the store.  

The name of a bookstore AND the name of a publisher.  

Books in a plain brown wrapper, consider it a blind date.  I love this promotion that many indies have.  

Here's a close-up of one of the "blind dates."

A variety of beverages available.  

A ladder that rolls on rails in case you need to see a higher shelf.  

Wine in a can and I hear it's pretty good.

With Will on the left and Cristina in the middle, two of the fine people you'll meet at Deep Vellum Books.  Thanks for a great visit.  

Interabang Books - Dallas, TX

Interabang Books, Dallas, TX

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This is the interabang, right in the front window.  

There are some bookstores I visit that make me curious about their name and this is one of them.  What the heck is an Interabang and how did they come up with it?  Interabang is a question mark and exclamation mark superimposed on top of each other.  It represents curiosity and excitement.  This certainly explained both of my feelings as I entered this store.  And as Jeremy E., the operating partner of the store told me, they didn't want to go with something boring.  Mission accomplished. 

The Dallas area has been a slow bookstore scene for many years but that is beginning to change thanks in part to Interabang Books.  This is another new bookstore and has only been in business for 6 months.  As Jeremy told me, it's about changing people's habits and that will take time.  But so far things are off to a great start and there is strong support from a core of the community that wants to see this store succeed.

As for the physical presence of the store, it's absolutely beautiful (I've been on a streak of these lately!).  A one-level space that is long and wide that feels very spacious and roomy for easy browsing.  Every single table display is on wheels that allows the store to be transformed into a great event space that can hold up to 100 people.  The big eye-catcher when you enter the store is the cartoon mural on the center wall with a talk bubble that displays different messages about books clubs, events, store info, etc.  It was even painted and created by Jeremy which confirms my belief that booksellers are multi-talented.  I haven't seen anything like this and it is so indie!

The store offers an extensive inventory of new books and a variety of sidelines including some upscale items like a line of purses, handbags, and totes by Knomo.  The children's section is good-sized and has its own beautiful mural there.  Heck, this store is so attractive that they even have decorative artwork in the bathroom.  And as with many of my bookstore visits, I met a lovely pair of lady customers, one of whom was a bookseller at Hatchards Bookstore near Picadilly Circus in London.  Man, I love this gig!

Jeremy, and Lisa P., the children's book buyer, were simply fantastic to meet and talk to.  Readers, you don't have to tell me I'm lucky, I'm aware and thankful for every visit.  But in Dallas, not everyone has discovered this place yet.  Ok, the cat's out of the bag Dallas, check this place out and take a friend but allow plenty of time.  You'll be curious and excited for a long time.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

JUST FINISHED:  The Shipping News, Annie Proulx.  Didn't.  This book is arguably recognized as the author's best work but I just could not get into it and it didn't hold my attention.  The author's writing style just didn't click for me.  But there are many who disagree with me so give it a try.    

CURRENLTY READING:  Bastard Out Of Carolina, Dorothy Allison.  

RECENTLY PURCHASED:  The Last Suppers, Mandy Mikulencak.  Munich, Robert Harris.

Another exterior view.  

The store has lots of window display space.  

View looking into the store from the front entrance.  My pictures don't do this store justice.    

View looking to the right from the front entrance.  

View looking to the left from the front entrance.  Intuitive readers will notice the curious celebrity at the table display.  Yes, that's my mom.  

The lighting and the fixtures in the store are outstanding.  

This wall to the right of the front entrance is where you'll find some of the staff picks.  

Jeremy did the outstanding artwork on this wall.  Notice that talk bubble?  Now look at the pictures below.  

If you get tired of browsing books, put your eyes on this beautiful wall and see what they're talking about.

This is incredibly creative.  They talk about MUCH more than what you see here.  

Magazines and periodicals.  

A great place to sit and try out a few books.  

One of my favorite pictures in any bookstore but this is definitely one long wall of books.  

Many bookstores carry socks with goofy phrases.  These are socks with positive affirmations.  

The store carries a wide variety of sidelines. 

Weiner dog bookends for your dog-lover.  

These are the books that are shelved behind the cartoon mural wall.  There is more space in this store than what you see upon entering.  

Visual confirmation.  Not available on Amazon.  

The Indie Bob Spot does not often show the pictures of bathroom interiors but good grief, look how beautiful these walls are!

View looking into the children's section.  

Another great mural in the store.  This is in the children's section.  

Sorry for the blur but the UPS guy was flying by with more new books.   

An overview of the store looking from the back toward the front entrance.  

Looking for a DIY doll?  You'll find it here.  

If you're like me, you can barely get into the store without being distracted by new books.  Thankfully, this is right by the front entrance.  

With Jeremy on the left and Lisa in the middle, two of the fine folks you'll meet at Interabang Books.  Thanks for a great visit.  

Commonplace Books - Oklahoma City, OK

Commonplace Books, Oklahoma City, OK

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I continue to see fantastic, newly opened indies wherever I travel and this is another.  The two words that hit me when I walked in were "hip" and "modern."  This 9-month old indie would look perfectly at home in Brooklyn, NY but here it was in mid-town Oklahoma City.  What does that mean?  It means the readers that frequent indies are hip no matter where they're located.

It was clear to me that Commonplace Books has the perfect location surrounded by many like-minded businesses (with more to come) and downtown living space.  The store has done very well in its short existence with lots of walk-in foot traffic from nearby residents as well as out-of-towners.  The store offers all new books with a very small number of sidelines.  I thought the art books, coffee table books, and political books were especially strong.  They also have a nice children's section and offer a weekly story time, a great event for all indies who can do this.  They do very few author events and as Ben N., one of the 4 co-owners told me, they don't feel compelled to force this or a need to "win" anything with events.  He said they're more likely to host live music events as any other.

The big news here is a store expansion of 1000 square feet that will offer a cafe with breakfast, lunch, dinner, beer, wine, and coffee.  I always think this is a great thing for the indies that can do it.  The scheduled opening is for April 2018 and I think it will have a huge positive impact on the business.  

Thank you Boz for this action photo at Commonplace (he was on break from bookselling)!

Regular readers know that I'm a softie for bookstore dogs and they have the gentlest teddy bear here, Boz, a white lab.  But you know what I liked best about Boz?  I didn't have to chase him all over the g d store to pet him!  He will be a willing recipient when you visit him here.  

Ben and his staff couldn't have been nicer to meet and talk to.  Wonderful people who took time to visit with me and tell me about the store, the neighborhood, and of course book talk.

Bright new bookstores continue to jump out at me.  This one is beautifully arranged, lots of decorative plants, comfortable furniture, a future cafe, and a dog.  Hey, Oklahoma City, what more could you want?  Check it out and enjoy the hip vibe with the terrific people you'll meet here.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

JUST FINISHED:  One Of The Lucky Ones, Brenda Hancock.  Author's biography of her mother who grew up in occupied France and joined the Resistance in WWII.  Some of her relatives escaped the concentration camps and some did not but Nicole Holland escaped, survived, and adapted after the war to a new country, new friends, new family, and a new language.  This book is a story of triumph.  Recommended.  

CURRENLTY READING:  The Shipping News, Annie Proux.  

Another exterior view.  

Great window space and also great outdoor seating during nice weather.  

There are two entrances to the store, one into the main part of the store and this one into the children's section.  Go in either entrance!

Before you go into the store you can start your browsing outside.  

This picture of Boz was how I first saw him.  Underneath a table display in the children's section.  

View looking into the store and slightly to the right from the main entrance.  Notice the attractive plants, the lighting, and the very neat table displays.  

A great place to meet and gather.  

Entering the store and looking to the left across the store.  Lots of nice plants here.  Careful readers may notice the celebrity seated in the center.  Yes, that's my mom.  

I don't know if I've seen a bigger couch than this one in a bookstore.  I definitely could stretch on this one with a book and NOT have to bend my knees!  

There is lots of art displayed throughout the store, all by local artists and it is available for purchase.  

A partial view of the children's section and one of the fine table displays.  

The plants all around the store's space really added a lot.  

Another view of the children's section.  

This inspirational wall separates the store's customer space with the conference space for groups or staff.  

This is the conference and/or staff space.  You can also use this table to sit down and look at one of the large art books or coffee table books.  

Another view of the staff space.  They'll also open up new boxes of books here.  

With Ben on the left, one of the fine owners at Commonplace Books.  Thanks for a great visit.