I spent all weekend in the French Quarter at the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival, a celebration of GLBT writers and writing where, despite the rain, spirits remained high. Now, I’m tired out from all the activity. I need to snuggle up with a good book and relax.
Unfortunately, I’m all out of new things to read – and while old standbys are available, I’m hungry for something new in which to sink my literary teeth. So today I think I’ll make a stop over at the Garden District Book Shop.
Owner Britton Trice, assisted by a well-read staff – including manager Deb McDonald and right-hand man Ted O’Brien – assure that a visit to the little shop is an adventure in itself. Garden District is tucked inside The Rink at the corner of Washington and Prytania. A stroll down along the tree-lined road, within eyeshot
of one of New Orleans famous cemetaries, gets one in the spirit for the kind of moody adventure I like with my bookstore forays.
Garden District’s neatly packed shelves take me back to my younger years, when my mother would let me browse the cluttered stacks of a used bookstore for new treasures. I’d pore through the tattered covers in search of my next great adventure, and as a voracious reader, that meant I’d come away with dozens of books at a time. That’s how I discovered some of the best literature, accidentally. The variety of titles in the trim little store at Garden District Book Shop ensures that I can be surprised again. Then, I can take my spoils and sit in the beautiful atrium, or head up to City Park with a blanket. Either way, it’s sure to be a treat.
And in an example of life coming back full circle (the way it often does, especially in this city) I can return to the store on the 22nd, when SAS Fest author, Greg Herren will read and sign his latest book.
