They say a good bookshop is not just about selling books from shelves, but reaching out into the world and make a difference.
It was not until my visits to this special bookshop to fully feel what this quote truly means. Typical bookshops sell loads of things, treasure of knowledge from around the world, escape to a whimsical fantasy land, culinary recipes... So many things that makes you so hard to pinpoint one particular purpose of visiting a bookshop.
This bookshop i made frequent trips to is not like that at all. On an open road on the 39th street and 7th, this bookshop opens its door to the road yet somehow does not seem eye catching at all is the drama book shop. Those kind of window decoration you can almost walk past without noticing it is a bookshop.
When i first found out about this bookshop online, i can't help but let out a sigh of wonder of how amazing this shop must be for it sells any performing arts related books, from every play and musical script, sheet music of everything you can name of, self-help book, monologue book, films and fashion books and magazines, it basically is a world of wonder to every performing artist. If you had tried finding sheet music and monologue online, you would know what i mean.
My hand pulled opened the glass door framed with black metals and it swung opened. I was instantly greeted by the warmth of this little place and a welcoming voice saying hello at the back of the shop. The shop was lighted with some warm yellow light and decorated like a little cozy home you can drop by any minute of the day, in the early morning after your first coffee warming your hands through your gloves or after you had an intense dance class in the evening. Wooden shelves at both sides of the walls and the middle were filled with colorful books in different genre, movie, dance, fashion, plays, musicals all in a decent line filling the whole shop. It almost felt like you had different classes to pick in just one little place. The floorboard was in an irregular shape of earth-tone colors with combination of peach sorbet, oat, beige, sage and deep brown.
I couldn't help but rush to the musical session. To see so many scripts in front of my own eyes on a shelve a feet taller than i am was wonderful. Though i did not buy or spend time reading any of the full-length script, flipping through the pages was a special feeling. Almost felt like i had access to anything i want to find and know.
To my surprise, the section i spent most time in the bookshop was the monologue and play section. I bought myself two monologue books in different times and you might have imagined i did "talk to myself" in my own room while reading out the monologues and every time i tried to speak like as if i was having a conversation on my phone to make it sound less awkward. ya, having a break-up, quitting my job, talking about life seem totally normal on a phone conversation... Since they say you can't really pick monologues from a monologue book, i also spent some time to read some short plays. Every new play was published without a beautiful cover but a simple formatted typical script book, just in different color. That was the time i really did not judge the book by its cover but to see its title and synopsis at the back cover to see if i was interested to read more. If i had found one or two or three that i like, i would pick them to sit at the table in one of the corner of the shop and let the play unfold to me, imaging actors playing on the stage or zooming them in like a movie lense in this little space.
I like this bookshop so much because it almost feels like a community. Every one in this bookshop is doing something, are here for a reason. It was so cozy you can pick up a conversation at the table discussing the plays the others are reading. One time i also have heard two people doing a reading off a play at the table. That was a community. A place to gather all the like-minded and a place to offer materials for one to learn and grow.
After my first visit at the bookshop, i took out my camera and snapped a few shots of the front of the bookshop, i felt like it would fit so nice on a blog. If only i had one back then. While i was snapping a few pictures in different angels, a woman in a coat with curly hair reaching her shoulders, looking like in her 40s came to me and asked what i was doing and if the pictures were for a blog. I lowered my camera and turned to look at her in my smile and said no. And in my mind i was thinking a lot of things, does she has a blog? would she like my pictures? i would like a blog that have readers to read my reviews, why is she asking? who is she? To snap me out from questions, she then invited me if i would like to go inside the bookshop, as i have just spent some time in the shop and have just walked out, i said thank you to her and she walked inside with the tinkling sound of the bells of the door behind her. Gracefully and quietly, she began her little journey in the shop. It was not until minutes later i realized i should have gone in with her, not for the bookshop again, but know a little more story about her and what she was doing in the shop.
"Is it for a blog?" little did i know it is now and the woman is having a featured on it too. I like this bookshop just the way it is, small and cozy yet so big in its collection, reaching out to every visitor to provide the materials and inspiration they need, a small community and maybe some encounter of a real life story that could inspire you.
It was not until my visits to this special bookshop to fully feel what this quote truly means. Typical bookshops sell loads of things, treasure of knowledge from around the world, escape to a whimsical fantasy land, culinary recipes... So many things that makes you so hard to pinpoint one particular purpose of visiting a bookshop.
This bookshop i made frequent trips to is not like that at all. On an open road on the 39th street and 7th, this bookshop opens its door to the road yet somehow does not seem eye catching at all is the drama book shop. Those kind of window decoration you can almost walk past without noticing it is a bookshop.
When i first found out about this bookshop online, i can't help but let out a sigh of wonder of how amazing this shop must be for it sells any performing arts related books, from every play and musical script, sheet music of everything you can name of, self-help book, monologue book, films and fashion books and magazines, it basically is a world of wonder to every performing artist. If you had tried finding sheet music and monologue online, you would know what i mean.
My hand pulled opened the glass door framed with black metals and it swung opened. I was instantly greeted by the warmth of this little place and a welcoming voice saying hello at the back of the shop. The shop was lighted with some warm yellow light and decorated like a little cozy home you can drop by any minute of the day, in the early morning after your first coffee warming your hands through your gloves or after you had an intense dance class in the evening. Wooden shelves at both sides of the walls and the middle were filled with colorful books in different genre, movie, dance, fashion, plays, musicals all in a decent line filling the whole shop. It almost felt like you had different classes to pick in just one little place. The floorboard was in an irregular shape of earth-tone colors with combination of peach sorbet, oat, beige, sage and deep brown.
I couldn't help but rush to the musical session. To see so many scripts in front of my own eyes on a shelve a feet taller than i am was wonderful. Though i did not buy or spend time reading any of the full-length script, flipping through the pages was a special feeling. Almost felt like i had access to anything i want to find and know.
To my surprise, the section i spent most time in the bookshop was the monologue and play section. I bought myself two monologue books in different times and you might have imagined i did "talk to myself" in my own room while reading out the monologues and every time i tried to speak like as if i was having a conversation on my phone to make it sound less awkward. ya, having a break-up, quitting my job, talking about life seem totally normal on a phone conversation... Since they say you can't really pick monologues from a monologue book, i also spent some time to read some short plays. Every new play was published without a beautiful cover but a simple formatted typical script book, just in different color. That was the time i really did not judge the book by its cover but to see its title and synopsis at the back cover to see if i was interested to read more. If i had found one or two or three that i like, i would pick them to sit at the table in one of the corner of the shop and let the play unfold to me, imaging actors playing on the stage or zooming them in like a movie lense in this little space.
I like this bookshop so much because it almost feels like a community. Every one in this bookshop is doing something, are here for a reason. It was so cozy you can pick up a conversation at the table discussing the plays the others are reading. One time i also have heard two people doing a reading off a play at the table. That was a community. A place to gather all the like-minded and a place to offer materials for one to learn and grow.
After my first visit at the bookshop, i took out my camera and snapped a few shots of the front of the bookshop, i felt like it would fit so nice on a blog. If only i had one back then. While i was snapping a few pictures in different angels, a woman in a coat with curly hair reaching her shoulders, looking like in her 40s came to me and asked what i was doing and if the pictures were for a blog. I lowered my camera and turned to look at her in my smile and said no. And in my mind i was thinking a lot of things, does she has a blog? would she like my pictures? i would like a blog that have readers to read my reviews, why is she asking? who is she? To snap me out from questions, she then invited me if i would like to go inside the bookshop, as i have just spent some time in the shop and have just walked out, i said thank you to her and she walked inside with the tinkling sound of the bells of the door behind her. Gracefully and quietly, she began her little journey in the shop. It was not until minutes later i realized i should have gone in with her, not for the bookshop again, but know a little more story about her and what she was doing in the shop.
"Is it for a blog?" little did i know it is now and the woman is having a featured on it too. I like this bookshop just the way it is, small and cozy yet so big in its collection, reaching out to every visitor to provide the materials and inspiration they need, a small community and maybe some encounter of a real life story that could inspire you.
I love book shops! I visited an amazing one in LA recently called The Last Bookstore - if you are ever in the city you must visit it!
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