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Michael Merschel: Michael Merschel edits books coverage for The Dallas Morning News. November 2010
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The biggest knock against the Dallas-area book scene in recent years has been the lack of a large, independent bookseller. Dallas has not had one since Taylor's closed in the 1990s. And recently, even smaller favorites such as Black Images Book Bazaar and Shakespeare, Beethoven and Co. have vanished. Our friends at Borders and Barnes & Noble (not to mention Amazon.com) have made sure nobody in town has gone bookless. But it is still a cause for celebration to read that Legacy Books is planning to open at the Dallas North Tollway and Legacy Drive late this summer. The story will be occupy 24,000 square feet -- on three levels -- in the demographically beautiful Shops at Legacy. Steve Brown's story quotes Avin Mark Domnitz, chief executive of the American Booksellers Association, as saying that Legacy Books is the largest new, independent bookstore opening in recent memory. "I cannot tell you how thrilled we are that an independent of such scope is opening," Mr. Domnitz said by e-mail. "Also the fact that they are opening in Texas makes us even more excited." Do you agree, readers? Archived Comments |
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The DFW area has a highly-literate community that
will definitely benefit from a new bookstore, much as it has from the B&N and Borders stores. Note that the DFW area--Frisco, actually--has a family-owned independent bookstore. It's The Bookworm, at 3245 Main Street, Suite 225 in Frisco.
I read the article in today’s paper, and I’m torn.
A little over a year ago, I approached the Shops at Legacy about a vacancy. When asked what the store would sell, I said, “Books.” I was politely told that the Shops was going to get a bookstore, and that they had a noncompete clause, so I was out of luck. When I asked who was coming in, I was told they couldn’t say – secrecy was part of the clause.
I assumed it was one of the Bigs, but when I saw the sign this past fall, I was intrigued. Now that I finally know more, I’m skeptical. Three levels, a modern design, and a 100,000-book inventory are impressive, but what type of books will they carry? What type of people will they employ? Who are the authors who will come to visit?
It’s great that Ms. Tanner spent ‘hours’ at other large indies (Elliott Bay, Tattered, and BookPeople), and I would love to have one of those types of stores around here, but I fear we’re just getting another Barnes and Noble. (By the way, Shakespeare, Beethoven and Co, was not an independent bookstore.)
North Texas really doesn’t need a B&N or Borders clone, especially one sandwiched between two B&Ns (one down the road on Preston, the other a mile away in Stonebriar). We need a Powell’s or the King’s English, or even a Quimbys. However, I’ll be there on opening day (and probably many days after), and I’ll withhold final judgment until the store has a chance to find its feet/niche.
What worries me, though, is a true independent bookstore would have come up with a better name.
This is so cool. Yeah, it's a large store, but how cool that it's independent.
L.A. -- My first thought when I saw the location of this new store was how it might affect the Bookworm. David Norwood has been a regular provider of the local best-sellers lists we run every Sunday. I can tell by the lists that he has an intelligent group of customers.
David -- You raise excellent concerns, not to mention an interesting bit of background. You're exactly right in that 24,000 square feet of books mean nothing, if they are lousy books, or a bad atmosphere.
I'll concede a semantic point to you on Shakespeare, Beethoven & Co. The Galleria store here was indeed a branch of a family-owned store that got its start in Scottsdale, Ariz. But when I wrote about the store's closing in late 2006, [http://www.guidelive.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/books/stories/DN-beethoven_1230gl.ART.State.Edition1.3db8642.html]
general manager Katie Surtees, daughter of founder Vivienne Surtees, was running the store as a labor of love and had won passionately loyal customers with her personal service.
I think those qualities separate an "independent" bookseller from the chains, which are often staffed by great people, but ultimately run like a business, not a calling.