On this episode of the WriterFest Podcast, Ami talks with RJ Witherow and Elyse Adler, the events team at Parnassus Books in Nashville, the “Greatest Independent Bookstore on the Planet” about, the history of this Nashville hotspot, favorite reads, shopping local, and more including:

Their recommendations:

https://www.parnassusbooks.net

Elyse Adler:

Elyse is a native New Yorker. She has an undergraduate degree in Music from Syracuse University and a Masters in Information Science from Vanderbilt University.

She has an undergraduate degree in Music from Syracuse University and a Masters in Information Science from Vanderbilt University.She moved to Nashville in 1981 and worked for Nashville Public Library where she retired as Assistant Director of Education and Literacy in 2020. Since then, Elyse has worked for Parnassus Books as Director of Events which offers an opportunity to be creative, work with publishers and authors, cultivate partnerships in the community, and further the mission of a great independent bookstore!

Elyse is as passionate about her personal life as she is about her work life. She’s raised two extraordinary young men, loves to hike, served as a member of the Executive Board of the Directors of the Nashville Jazz Workshop, the Frist Educational Council, Nashville After Zone Alliance Leadership Council, and worked with Big Brother Big Sisters of Nashville.

RJ Witherow:

River James Witherow was born and raised in Tennessee, where they attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and received a degree in Fine Art. They worked a multitude of retail, tourism, and bookstore jobs before finding a home at Parnassus Books, where they currently work as the Events Manager. RJ also has a passion for children’s bookselling and writes reviews of children’s and Young Adult books for Bookpage. RJ spends their spare time writing, hanging out with their dog, and trying to find the best-iced coffee in Nashville.