Originally published on April 11, 2022 (Episode 259)
Introduction
The sociologist Edward Shils once remarked somewhere that one of the three principal means of education was the bookstore—preferably a used bookstore. (The other two were libraries and magazines of all kinds.) First a student and later a faculty member at the University of Chicago, Shils spent many hours in such places, particularly the Seminary Co-operative Bookstore in Hyde Park where he was member number 8,704.
My guest Jeff Deutsch is the director of the Seminary Co-op Bookstores in Chicago, which in 2019 became the first not-for-profit bookstore incorporated with the mission of bookselling. He is also the author of In Praise of Good Bookstores (Princeton University Press, 2022), a loving tribute to an endangered civic institution and an imaginative vision for how bookstores might not only endure but thrive. We talk about his grandfather and my great-grandfather; how to arrange books; types of browsing; and the importance of getting lost in a bookstore.
About the Guest
Jeff Deutsch was formerly director of the Seminary Co-op Bookstores in Chicago. He has written widely about the cultural role of bookstores and is a leading advocate for their preservation and renewal.
For Further Investigation
Jeff Deutsch, In Praise of Good Bookstores (Princeton University Press, 2022)
Seminary Co-op Bookstores: The Front Table Newsletter Archive
New Dominion Bookshop – Charlottesville, VA
City Lights Bookstore – San Francisco, CA
Hub City Bookshop – Spartanburg, SC
💬 Listen & Discuss
What makes a bookstore great? Is it the shelves, the staff, the chance discoveries—or simply the time spent lingering? Share your favorite bookstore memories in the comments, and send this episode to someone who still prefers wandering through stacks to scrolling online.
