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    Spruce St. Weekly

    5.0 (1 review)

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    17 years ago

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    Port Townsend Jefferson County Leader

    Port Townsend Jefferson County Leader

    3.8(4 reviews)
    0.4 km

    Flew into town yesterday…read more I'm spending a whirlwind week sampling all of the many activities that this town offers. So....of course, the first thing I did was to empty my mailbox. Four copies of the Port Townsend Leader awaited; to be read, savored and (occasionally) torn apart whe I want to put an article in my dropfile. First things first. Had to plan Saturday so I checked through this week's events in the paper. Let's see... Drop by the library and return some books. (Remember folks, no fines in Port Townsend.) Pop by the Saturday morning Farmer's Market. Grab some seasonal veggies. Plan to go to Gallery Walk this evening, as its the frst Saturday of the month . Think about going to PT Shorts at the Key City Players theater. (First Saturday, once again.) And of course go to the Craft's Faire at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Perfect schedule. Wait!! What's this??? Two $10 passes to the Rose Theatre from the Leader??? Why??? I won them by entering the Film Festival contest sponsored by the Leader? You are joking...I never win anything in a contest. And yet, and yet....so tomorrow night I'm heading for a movie. In a town that really knows its movies. Thank you, Leader. Thanks for giving me all the info about my community. All the time. Even though I'm often miles away. Oh...and thanks for the tickets... This really *is* Dream City." And you are my kinda dream newspaper.

    I was pleased with the Leader's handling a situation I was initially unhappy about. (Staff members…read morewere handling the guidelines VERY differently and my ad received short shrift because of it.) When I brought the issue to their attention, they volunteered to run it again, with the changes made, for free. Nice to have that kind of attention to the public in 2009!

    Copper Canyon Press - Logo, Copper Canyon Press

    Copper Canyon Press

    5.0(1 review)
    0.0 km

    Copper Canyon Press is a stone's throw from my Port Townsend house. Not that one would consider…read morethrowing stones at one of the world's best known "homes" for poetry publication. Far from it. I took the official tour of their building on Monday. The building itself is a small wooden structure, painted white as are all of the surrounding buildings in Fort Worden. Its very simplicity belies the important work that goes on here...last year, Copper Canyon published a Pulitzer prize winner, and its catalog boasts such well-known poets as Rabindranath Tagore, Hayden Carruth and Lucile Clifton. Did I mention that Kenneth Rexroth, Maxine Kumin and W. S. Merwin are also represented in its stable of poets? Hold it. You say some of these names are unfamiliar to you? You say that you love poetry but that you haven't yet heard of "Quote Poet Unquote" edited by the Irish writer Dennis O'Driscoll? Well...not to worry, Copper Canyon Press is not dependent upon the number of times it appears on the front page of the Enquirer. It is " a Non-Profit Publisher in the Service of Poetry". In other words, you can purchase books and poems from the press but you can also send them a contribution. (Consult with your tax person for information about the latter suggestion.) I walked around the office building, met volunteers who staff the "prize" department. I perused copies of Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda's nine volumes of poetry. I saw bilingual editions of poetry from various traditions. (Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Italian, Norwegian and Vietnamese are some of the languages represented.) And I picked up a free copy of the "Copper Canyon Reader" which has a sampling of poems from over thirty different people. I'd copy a poem or two into this review...but poets have enough trouble making a living without having Yelp reviewers steal their wares and post them for all to read. Suffice to say, if you like poems...you'll love this little Reader. Do yourself a favor. Give yourself a gift today. Buy a volume or two from Copper Canyon and just see how much better you feel about your world and your own existence. Seriously. Finished the tour, enjoyed chatting with a worker or two and then...ambled out into the mid-day sunshine of a Port Townsend February day. Walked home through a small military cemetery, passed through Blue Heron Middle School on my way up to the fairgrounds and over the hill toward home. And all the while, I was mumbling to myself a newly read stanza... "Poetry- thank goodness- is the animal that always escapes" (John Barr) Check www.coppercanyonpress.org You too, can have a similar experience.

    Village Books - Street view

    Village Books

    4.4(140 reviews)
    69.8 km
    $$

    We love to see a bookstore thriving!! This is so much more than just a bookstore (and adjoining…read morepaper/confectionery/novelty shop). Its a community hub! I recently moved to Bellingham and Village Books (and paper dreams) actually really swayed me to move here. Its a book palace, 3 stories of well organized selection. The front facing books are well chosen, and the used books are interspersed with the new books. There are quite a few staff picks sections, all of which are super interesting and worth looking over. Three days before Christmas 2025 I was there trying to pick out a horror book for a friend of mine. Horror is not my genre (more of a fantasy and literature gal myself), so I for sure needed guidance. The shop lady spent so much time reviewing the whole horror section with me . When we couldn't find the main book we decided on me buying, she spent the time looking everywhere for it. She enlisted the help of two additional staff members. When she was needed for another task, she made sure one of the other shop ladies had me covered. I ended up ordering the book, which came in a few days and they texted me when it arrived. Easy peasy! I will never forget that experince, especially as the store was jam packed with x-mas shoppers. Village books in fairhaven is the spot! My only note is that their bookclubs could be better. The bookclubs are during the day and don't have different genre selections (they are mostly nonfiction). There is a silent reading bookclub that I might try. They could be cultivating different types of communities (ie book clubs geared towards romantasy, sci-fi, literature, etc.), but maybe that will come with time.

    I really wanted to love the store. I'm long time book lover and one who worked in the book…read moreindustry for over 20 years. This store seemingly has it all; great selection of books, both knew and used, lots of old wood, and a staff that seems knowledgeable if a little bit unhappy. The last part can explain why the vibe is just off. It just doesn't feel comfortable nor welcoming, and if I had to put my finger on the cause, I would say it is likely due to management. I witnessed firsthand how the store manager ignored customers in line waiting to pay because he was on the phone. You never ignore the customers who are right in front of you. I wish the store all the best, but I'm gonna take my book shopping business elsewhere.

    Photos
    Village Books - Printed in South Korea. Considered this (3/29/25)

    Printed in South Korea. Considered this (3/29/25)

    Village Books - Gifts

    Gifts

    Village Books - Books

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    Books

    Spruce St. Weekly - printmedia - Updated May 2026

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