The Bookswap at Booksmith

Not just a bookstore.

I went to Booksmith on Fri Jan 29 2010, for the fourth installment of their Bookswap. I didn't know what to expect. I knew there would be swapping. Of books. I knew there would be free-flowing wine and food and I knew Stephen Elliott and Kevin Smokler were going to be reading. But they didn't read. They were just there. But don't worry, I'll explain!

In discussion: rotation 2

Every other month, 30 people sign up for this event. I say 30 because that's capacity and it's sold out every time. Everyone brings one book—most people brought books they loved, but some did bring books they didn't. There is swapping, and it is fun, but that's not really the main thing here.

When we arrived at 6:30 we were each given a name tag, a bookmark, and a discount card. The bookmarks had a place for name and contact info so you could include that in the book you brought. Who knows? further discussion might be fruitful. (You don't have to use this, of course.) The discount is 20% and good for two weeks (you should probably use this, however).

For the first half hour we filled our plates: kebobs, hummus, various quality cheeses and fruits, pita and crackers, marinated artichoke and sun dried tomatoes and olives, miniature quiches stuffed with much of the same—a really delicious spread provided by Cafe Reverie in Cole Valley. There was both white and red wine in abundance, beer, lemonade and sparkling water.

After about 30 minutes we split into five groups based on a number written on our name tags. For 25-30 minutes we each talked about the books we brought until conversation became more developed. Not only did we get to know one another but we did so through the books of our choice. When time was up we switched tables according to some advanced mathematical theory co-producer Sky Hornig worked out beforehand. This way we were with different people each time. Sky, Stephen, Kevin, and superemployees Todd Lavoie and Camden Avery served as group leaders assigned to each table, where they stayed throughout the rotation. This ensured lively and well-rounded conversation.

There were also little prompts at each table. What is the best/worst ending you've ever read? What book will you never forget? What book do you always visit in a bookstore? What is the darkest book you've read? If you could read a book in another language, for the literature's sake, which would it be? Such were the questions at one table. We rotated twice.

Results were a bit mixed on this. I think it's a great idea, but honestly I didn't really figure it out until later. After having described my book the first time, I gave kind of a repeat description the second, and for the third I tried to be creative by giving a different perspective on the book. But I should have tried to provide a different perspective on me, through the book! Because I didn't understand this, really, I brought a book that I thought anyone might enjoy: The South by Colm Toibin; a book I read once and really loved but read many years ago. I heard several people echo my feeling: "if I had known what we were doing I'd have brought a dfferent book, one I was more prepared to talk about."

Now that I understand it better I'm going to go back next time and take a book that really meant something to me, something that I didn't just like, you know—and I really did like The South, it impressed me at a time when few things would—but a book that has shaped who I am. You know, like an actual gift! Something I can talk about not just critically but passionately, for the sake of revelation!

These small groups are occasion to start one of the many conversations you might already, intrinsically love to have ... chances are, even if no one else understands what kind of gift you have given (by bringing such an important part of yourself), someone is going to take it home, and if you speak unrestrictedly and give of yourself with your gift then others are going to be interested. Because they are listening.

Sky Hornig makes sure everyone is satisfied

Appropriately, either Sky or one of the staff would make the rounds during conversation, refilling glasses of wine. Essentially, this is what you have: a campfire setting without the campfire. The living room with the fireplace only without the fireplace. But you're in a wonderful bookstore! And not just a bookstore. An incredible bookstore, determined to provide not only the books we read for communication and enterntainment and understanding, but also a place and a forum to share these things! The binding of any community is, in a very real way, a result of the books it reads... but also of the way we interact with one another as a result of these books.

I learned that Borges hated opera, that Lithuania's nouns have tenses (the word for 'your old house' is different than the one for 'your current house'), and that Turkish adjectives assume gender based on vowel harmony. This was all in one rotation. I learned about many authors of whom I'd never heard and got to meet many variously like-minded people. In fact, even after all of this talking, when the program was over nearly half of us went across the street to Zam Zam for a drink and some further conversation. This is an intimate bar and we had much of the little back room to ourselves. We formed a circle with our chairs and talked for well over an hour.

I wrote the following notes in my book: Found Magazine, created by a classmate of Mr. Smokler to showcase all things found: entire plays, notes, poems, clothes; the HBO series The Wire, hailed by Salon.com and Guardian (UK) as "the best television series of all time," particularly for being the most akin to a visual representation of literature; not only read, but buy the following books ASAP: Lunch and Cocktails and Chronic by DA Powell and Magenta Soul Whip by Lisa Robertson. I got to speak with Kevin for quite a while about his author tourdate site BookTour and his cutting compilation of young essayists' statements on the "unreaderly" culture that spawned our generation, Bookmark Now. Who knows? He may participate in Quiet Lightning!

But I didn't gather any of this information until post-swap, which occurred after we explained our books in the three rotations and according to the rules of a White Elephant party. Adhering to the numbers on our name tags, starting with 1, each person would choose one of the books from a big table. The next person would either get to choose from the table or to "steal" from the previous person, who would then get to choose a different book. This was repeated until the last person chose. The only other rule is that no one can be stolen from more than once, so person 16, say, can choose either a book from the table or a book from anyone who has not already been stolen from (this means a book can be stolen many times, and several were).

This is where the genius of the discount cards comes in. There were many books I felt like I really wanted to take home with me. I stole one from someone (it had already been stolen), and it was then stolen from me, too, and although I am happy with the book I brought home: We Did Porn by Zak Smith, I was instantly rreminded that I have 2 weeks to get any such necessary titles @ 20% off! Because of course Booksmith has them.

After the swap we were each offered a surprise gift: one of the store's owners Praveen Madan and manager Rachel brought out bundles of advanced copies—books not yet released that we could choose as we chatted about the swap and reconvened other conversations. Everyone left with at least 3 new books.

So let's get right down to it: for $25 you get 3 hours with 30 like-minded people, including two celebrity authors who are but 2 of such like-minded people, 3 books, unlimited wine and food, and 20% off any single purchase you make within a two week time frame. That's a lot of things, including a great way to start your Friday night!

In closing, I'd like to say a little about the future of publishing. (Does anyone else think that last sentence hilarious?) Read Ransom Stephens' thorough article, "Booking the Future," a very smart feature about the effects online publishing may have on the future of books, in which he discusses steps independent bookstores will have to take in order to survive. Right there on the Booksmith website, Praveen and co-owner (and wife) Christin Evans proclaim their "big, hairy, audacious goal: Create the independent bookstore for the 21st century." This is the real thing, people. Read their great articles on Hufffington Post. In the process of survival some stores are really creating stronger communities. Innovation—it's not just about bringing in authors every night or running a high-priced cafe inside your store. It's about pinpointing the potential function of this space and becoming a nexus for the community. This event is truly a step in the right direction.

The Bookswap embodies the spirit both of innovation and community and is proof that there is a strong desire for—and much to be learned from—independent bookstores in the 21st century. Tickets for the next two events can be ordered here: Friday, March 5 and Friday May 7.