May 14, 2013 - 8:16pm
The Townie: Get Out! (and explore the town)
BY JAMIE FORGACS
- Maybe Ann Arbor bibliophiles should’ve projected a typewriter into the sky with a spotlight.
I am a townie. The Ann Arborite who knows the wisdom of escaping Art Fair chaos, the unimaginative host who takes her friends downtown every possible weekend and the proud Go Blue-er who habitually informs outsiders that she can hear the screams from the stadium while standing on her front porch. I was born and raised maize and blue. But come August, those really will be my colors. I will officially become a Michigan Wolverine — with the advantage of hometown familiarity. It only seems fair to share some of the history and places that enrich Ann Arbor.
One of the first places I intend to take my newfound buddies this autumn is Literati. It’s a brand new bookstore tucked into the corner of East Washington Street and 4th Avenue. After the fall of the mighty Borders, the flagship store sat empty and book lovers throughout town felt like it echoed their sorrowful booklessness. According to their bio, Literati's owners, Michael Gustafson and Hilary Lowe, moved back here from Brooklyn when they realized that “one of the most literate, creative cities in the nation ... (was) without a downtown general bookstore to share ideas, discuss books and meet authors.” Yes, there are other bookstores in Ann Arbor — Nicola’s Books* is an excellent and relatively large indie bookstore located on the west side and there are also many wonderful little used book stores, textbook stores and other shops that happen to include the written word. But Literati came specifically to fill the void that Borders left, and it does so very well.
When you walk inside, Literati immediately feels comfortable. From the warm lighting and checkered floor to the reused Border’s shelves and tables holding everything from timeless classics to temporary tween fiction, this bookstore makes you feel like a child in a candy shop — what do you choose first? Do you check out the magazines and journals near the door, wander along the shelves lining the walls or peruse the tables placed here and there? That’s ignoring the basement, cozy and darker but not the slightest bit scary, with more shelves, more tables, more books, books, books. Even as you descend into the cave of wonders, cubbies with interesting displays call out to you. Don’t be surprised if you’re walking downstairs when the person in front of you suddenly stops — and they’re still there, nose buried in a Pulitzer Prize winner, when you walk back up.
Literati has only been open since the beginning of April, yet it has already held meet-the-author events, story times for children and put on an exhibition from a senior thesis on book binding, all the while planning to create a schedule featuring regular events like “Literati Live!” — an open mic night for poetry. If you are looking for a new book, simply want to browse in a nice atmosphere or are interested in getting involved with local literature-related events, Literati Bookstore is the place to go.
How to get out and go: Start at the Diag to make this easy. Take South State Street down to East Liberty Street (turn left when you see the State Theater, Starbucks and Potbelly’s). Follow East Liberty Street until you pass the post office on the left and then see Running Fit on the corner. Turn right onto South 4th Avenue. When you hit East Washington Street, Literati Bookstore will be on the corner.
Address, Phone, and Hours: 124 E. Washington St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104; (734)-585-5567; Mon-Thurs: 11AM-8PM, Fri: 11AM-9PM, Sat: 10AM-9PM, Sun: 11AM-6PM
Images from Literati Bookstore’s Facebook page. Follow Literati on Twitter and Facebook .
*Nicola’s Books is on the left in Westgate Shopping Mall as you take West Huron out of downtown and continue along Jackson Avenue.
