Bookstore Visit: Globe Corner
(Slowly continuing my recap of visits to some of Boston’s independent bookstores.)
They worship Planet Earth in style at The Globe Corner Bookstore on Mt. Auburn St. at Harvard Square. Case in point, this elegant “map altar” to the gods of geography nestled near the rear of the store. Travel guides, memoirs, narratives and essay collections are arranged by region and sit on gorgeous custom shelves in an eco-friendly LEED-certified green building.
Bookstore lovers should flock to Cambridge this weekend to visit this fabulous travel shop, as well as all the other area bookstores that are participating in the Passport to Wisdom Book Stroll and Bookish Ball taking place this Saturday, April 12. It’s a fantastic idea — a self-guided walking tour, various author events, and an evening party for the community — all of it in celebration of the bookstores of Harvard Square.
The Globe Corner Bookstore will host a “Great Days and Nights in Eastern Europe” event as part of their Adventure Lecture Series, and Harvard Book Store will host a discussion with Pico Iyer about his new book, The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. There will be literary-themed desserts made by local restaurants and a chance to win airline tickets too.
I absolutely love this concept of a literary travel-inspired celebration of independent bookstores. Easy to plan for such a high concentration of shops in a small area. NYC is a whole different dynamic — our bookstores are spread out over a large metro area that stretches to the five boroughs and beyond. But this is definitely an idea that we, as a bookseller group, should brainstorm about in the future. It seems an excellent way to honor and raise awareness about the history and tradition of indies in our own city.
Speaking of which, one final note on the book/travel theme — it was announced this week that a new globally-minded bookstore will be opening up right here in NYC – Idlewild Books will specialize in travel and international literature, with books organized by country. Looking forward to more exploring…
Hi. Found your blog via the “Possibly related posts” feature. I love, love, love The Globe Corner Bookstore. If only I had more time/money to actually travel. Thanks for the great review.