Starting first as an online bookstore throwing great online events in September 2020, and opened their doors to a brick-and-mortar store in the Chicago's historic Fine Arts Building on May 15th of this year,  still doing great online events. Mixing a love of literature and music, Kristin Enola Gilbert and Javier Ramirez followed their hearts and passion to open something truly special store. We talk about the obstacles they faced, including learning tech, Bookshop.org, blood, sweat, tears and cocktails, hosting virtual events during lockdown as an online store, moving to the store ahead of schedule, naysayers on the name, asking for help, hours of paperwork, jumping through arbitrary hoops, running a store while doing other jobs/teaching, loving the Instagrammable space, importance of shopping local and independent, shopping off of Amazon, authors need to link to indie stores and not Amazon, coping skills, give and take, supporting others in your industry, there's enough room for everybody, sharing ideas, broadening the sense of community, diving into your dream, learn as much as you can, do your research, you can't do it all by yourself, and you shouldn't!

How to Support Local Bookstores (buy e- and audiobooks online): https://diversebooks.org/how-to-support-independent-bookstores-right-now/

You can find Kristin and Javier at https://www.exileinbookville.com/ on Twitter @BookvillExiles, Instagram @exileinbookville and Facebook @exileinbookville

Episode recorded on 07/09/21

Episode released on 08/04/21

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Music: Shower Beer by GG Riggs