Slog tipper Chris Estey wanted us to know that bookselling collective Left Bank Books in the Pike Place Market could use your support right now.
Here’s the situation: The Market Preservation & Development Authority (PDA) is overseeing renovations in the Market for earthquake preparedness. As a result, certain businesses—including Left Bank Books—will have to temporarily close for an estimated three months this fall while the renovations are taking place. I just talked with Jamie Menzel at Left Bank about this and while she wanted to emphasize that the PDA has been working with the businesses to ensure that the financial impact will be as negligible as possible (that’s why, for instance, the store is closing in the fall and not the busy summer months, and rent will be pro-rated for the months of the closure), the store could use some love right now. There won’t be any revenue coming in while the store is closed, but publishers will still need to be paid for the books they’ve already sent.
The Left Bank collective will be holding meetings to figure out the best way to raise money to cover the invoices that will come in during the closure, but you could help immediately by giving Left Bank your business right now and, especially, buying gift certificates. The gift certificates will serve as a kind of bond for future investment in the bookstore. I love Left Bank for their unapologetically radical anarchist selection of zines and books, and for the fact that it’s completely volunteer-run. They could use the help of a few good neighbors right now.
UPDATE: James Haydu, the Director of Communications for Pike Place Market PDA just called me back. He says that while phase 2 of the seismic upgrades for the market will be beginning in the fall, renovations to Left Bank Books probably won’t take place until the spring of 2011. He says the PDA will work with Left Bank Books to find a temporary space for Left Bank if the upgrades will take more than three weeks. I’ll keep you posted as the story develops.
Earthquakes. Right. Read The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein and open your eyes, people.
I wandered into Left Bank Books only a few days after moving to Seattle a decade ago – I was so impressed to find a truly radical bookstore in such a prominent location. Haven’t visited lately, but now maybe I will.
If the Market is closing them for repairs why are they paying rent at all for those three months?
WTF, why is the Stranger not attacking anarchists? Is there some kind of Democrats and anarchists alliance we don’t know about?
one of the best radical bookstores I’ve come across. so many great titles in such a compact space. It’s also great to see this bookstore is located so centrally (or at least centrally if you’re a tourist taking a photo of the fish market).
yeah, I’ll gladly support them, and I don’t even live in Seattle.
they need an online catalogue set up so that the many visitors who don’t have space to stock up on books when they visit, can order them when they return to whatever non radical book store having town they’re visiting from .
There is apparently a benefit show in support of Left Bank Books happening at Cafe Racer next Thursday night. It will feature some ukulele awesomeness…
Great, so not only do we have to subsidize some socialist’s book store’s rent, now they want interest free loans and charity?
@7 The whole market is subsidized. We tend to sacrifice a few bucks for some retail diversity. Enjoy your friendly local Barnes and Noble.
Oh and to add to that, look how that few bucks in subsidy goes on to make this city a tourist magnet. It generates a shit-ton of money in tourism dollars and attracts other businesses to add to our tax revenue (i.e. The Four Seasons, Hard Rock, whatever…).
Funny how that works…
Fuck ’em. We support Laissez Faire Books.
http://www.lfb.org