A Bookshop Interview with Gabriel Ricard

Gabriel Ricard is a poet, writer, and occasional actor currently based out of Long Island, and I originally came to know him through his role as the cinema guru at the always epic Drunk Monkeys site. But he’s as dynamic as they come, impossible to pin down to just one title or genre, and his newest book, The Oddities of Saturday Night, veers from essays and poetry and dives back into short stories. I’m grateful he took a few moments to tell us about his favorite bookshop below. Enjoy!

Favorite Bookshop: Chop Suey in Richmond, Virginia

1. How did you discover the shop, and what do you remember about your first experience there?

I discovered the shop when I was 18, and I was part of a theater group that was staying in Richmond for three weeks, doing our own plays and stuff. It was essentially theater camp, but it jumpstarted my career in a few different ways.

One of the activities we participated in was a reading with Clay Mcleod Chapman at the original Chop Suey bookstore in Richmond. The original location was this incredible, absolutely ancient brick building. It’s the kind of bookstore you hope to find in any given town or city you’re in. Creaky wooden floors, stacks of books in some corners. New stuff, rarities, a cat that hung around. You might open a book and find a Bob Dylan concert ticket from the 70s. It was just amazing in every possible way.

It was the best possible place, to be sure, to hear someone like Clay read.

2. Does the shop have a particular vibe, theme, or atmosphere that stands out?

It had that atmosphere of a store that just couldn’t say no to stuff. It was shockingly well-organized in spite of that, but you couldn’t hope to browse absolutely everything of interest in an hour. You could kill the whole day there with ease.

The store has since moved to a smaller location. Still a fantastic, independently-owned bookstore, but it’s just not the same.

3. What books have you bought there in the past?

The three that always stick out to me:

-My first Charles Bukowski book

-My first William S. Burroughs book

-A book about the history of adult live performing in the United States that was unfortunately later stolen from me.

4. What part of the shop would we find you hanging out in the most?

Film. They had such a deep collection of stuff in that regard, I didn’t know where to begin, and I never got around to buying the books I really wanted from that section.

(You can also pick up Gabe’s book at Moran Press or by reaching out on Facebook. PS: I swiped the bookshop photo from NBC12.com.)

A Bookshop Interview with Daniel Sennis

Poet and rhyme-master extraordinaire Daniel Sennis has a funny and scathing new collection out called O Conman! My Conman! Sick Rhymes for Sick Times that is perfect for this fraught and befuddling year, and I asked him to share his favorite bookshop with me. I wasn’t surprised by his pick because it’s one of my favorites too.

Favorite Bookstore: Northshire Bookstore (Saratoga Spring, New York and Manchester, Vermont)

1. How did you discover the shop, and what did you enjoy about your first experience there?

My extended family would often visit Manchester when we had family up from New Jersey. Northshire was the best part of the trip for me. The shop was a wonder. A completely different experience than the little corporate chains in the mall we usually frequented. There was so much to see. Multiple rooms, all spacious, with delightful novelty items spread throughout. At the end, we’d always get something at the cafe. 

In 2013, I was about to move back to Saratoga from New Paltz when I discovered that both Northshire was opening a new location in Saratoga and that Northshire offers self-publishing services. Since I wanted to self-publish a book of humor, I was incredibly excited that I could do so while supporting a business I loved (and having my book in a bookstore I loved). I published my second book with Shires Press this year!  

2. Does the shop have a particular vibe, theme, or atmosphere that stands out?

Grandiose may be too grandiose a term, but, something like that. There’s a lot—bookwise and otherwise, to empty your wallet. 

3. What books have you bought there in the past?

It’s hard for me to remember all of the books I’ve purchased at Northshire. Some recent purchases are The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, Ani Difranco’s memoir No Walls and the Recurring Dream, and Let’s Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson.  

4. Is there a specific part of the shop you run to first, a section that really makes the place unique?

When my son is along, we go straight to the kid’s section, which is the whole upstairs floor. He loves it, though he is mostly enamored by toys at this point. When I can sneak away, I check out YA upstairs and then go down to the first floor and check out the front tables with new releases and bargain books. Then I’ll hit politics and fiction.