Today’s independent bookstore spotlight involves a personal favorite, found entirely by chance as I walked through New York City last fall. I was there on business, and with a day to kill figured I’d try to see as much as I could on foot. With record shops far less prevalent than they once were, far be it from me to pass up the chance to browse some books … especially at a place with the siren-song name of Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books.
The shop, at 34 Carmine St., has been in the same Greenwich Village storefront for 25 years. The space was pretty small even before owner Jim Drougas responded to rising rents a few years back by renting half of his store to a comics shop. Which, let’s face it, is kind of a win-win for customers.
What really sucked me in was the most impressive selection of Bob Dylan books I’ve ever encountered. (“Over 35 Different Bob Dylan Books in Stock!” crows a sign.) Some I already had. Some I’d never heard of. Some I ogled longingly. I thought long and hard about buying Daniel Kramer’s hefty picture book “Bob Dylan: A Year and a Day,” but with miles yet to go on that day's trek didn’t want to carry it across the city. I made a mental note to return for it before leaving town, but wasn’t able to do so.
Next time, for sure.
- Jason Turbow