We’re going to launch our first ever t-shirt, and you, dear reader, can help.
It’s been a beautiful day on Nantucket, with yard work, reading on the deck, and our family’s first trip down to the Creeks. It was also the first day I got out one of my favorite t-shirts, which happens to be from one of my favorite bookstores: the Montague Book Mill.
Montague Book Mill, Montague, MA
Background: I went to college in the Pioneer Valley (I’m a Smithie) and some of the highlights of my young stressed-out collegiate life were the field trips we would take up to the Book Mill, often ending with a visit to Bub’s BBQ in nearby Sunderland. In a life full of some happy memories, those remain right up there.
But back to the shirt. I hadn’t been back to Book Mill for years until last October, when we stopped by after visiting Clarkdale Fruit Farms in Deerfield to buy apples to make some Cisco hard cider. We had an awesome lunch in the store’s Lady Killegrew Cafe (their maple milk was a huge hit with the kids) and then poked around the stacks. I wanted to buy something to support them, but for obvious reasons I didn’t really need to buy a book. Then I spotted the t-shirts. How perfect! Plus, margins on clothing are better than the margin for books, so it would be like an extra buck’s worth of appreciation!
The Book Mill has one of the best slogans ever, and from years at the brewery I know my way around the genre.* The line is this: “Books you don’t need in a place you can’t find.” Leading me to ponder off and on ever since, should Bookworks have a t-shirt, and if so, whatsoever should it say?!? We bookworkers been having fun bouncing the ideas around (recalling fondly the classic Straight Wharf restaurant shirt the back of which simply read: “Closed Mondays”) but it’s now June and the rubber needs to hit the road, which is where you can chime in… please help us and vote for a winner.
We plan to start with our regular motto–”independent & out to sea”–for it is classic, but I’m contemplating a series. Here’s what we’ve got so far, but perhaps smart like yourself might even do better.
- inquire within
- Nantucket Bookworks: for a Moby Good Time
- character driven
- ridiculously open
- eclectic service!
- more fun than fits
- “Nantucket Bookworks is like a house gone feral.” -Fodor’s 1999
See anything you like? Can you do better? Use the comment field to let us know. If we do end up using a suggestion from someone in the crowd, you get bragging rights, a shirt, and an epically loaded Ye Olde Bookeworks Goody Bag.
Cheerio, Wendy H.
*”Nice beer if you can get it.” ”Sankaty Light: Don’t fall off the bluff.” “We know a good time when we taste it.” etc. etc. The more beer you drink the easier it gets. : )
Filed under: By Wendy
They’re all great, but my two faves are
-for a Moby good time
-More fun than fits
Let me know when they’re ready so I can place my order!
Thanks Michael – we will!
Readers Wanted.
Summer Reading Headquarters
(Hmm, not exactly inspired, but…!)
So good! Thanks for the suggestions… I love the Summer Reading thing. Reminds me of the great book group they’re doing at River Run Bookstore in Portsmouth, NH this summer: “Summer Smarter Than Others”. They need a shirt for that for sure : )
The search isn’t over until the book works.
Very clever indeed–we don’t really “work” the “works” angle much but it could be time to start. Thanks for the brilliance!
I just returned from my first trip to Nantucket where I, as I always do when I travel, sought out the local bookstores. You were the only one open, and boy was I impressed. As I told the woman who checked me out, you get a lot out of a little space. As my friend said, you can tell a lot about a bookstore by the staff recommendations. You remind me of Faulkner House Books in the French Quarter in New Orleans. The guy on Yelp has either never been to an airport bookstore or needs a McBooks to satisfy his esoteric sensibilities (not that there’ s anything wrong with that). I would’ve bought a t-shirt if you had had them, but here are a few suggestions:
1. “Nantucket Books . . . Backwards its skooB tekcutnaN”
2. “Selling Books and Taking Names”
3. “Feeding the Need to Read Since 19XX”
4. “We may be small but at least we’re hard to get to”
Now you’ve just got to figure out a way to sell your beer in your bookstore–think Kramer Books in Dupont Circle in D.C.–I know, I know, not enough room. But a guy can dream. Cheers!
Thanks so much for the compliments! Very glad you liked the store. I love your slogans – they’re all epic but the backwards one made me guffaw the loudest, so we definitely have to go to press on that.
KramerBooks is one of my top favorites anywhere – I’d love to find a way to emulate that in this town. I haven’t been to the store in New Orleans so I’m going to sign off now and book a flight. : )
Don’t know if you’re still taking submissions, but here goes:
1. Fog Goes Better with Books
2. Reading the Grey Lady Way
3. Surf Nantucket Bookworks
4. Books & ACK–Beautiful Together
5. Whale of a Good Read
I like the Fodor’s quote.
I read the story in today Boston Globe about your orange mini. Very cool. I think that would make a great iconic island t-shirt . My company started back in the early 70′s making shirts for Preston’s and The Chicken Box. I would love to design and produce them if your interested.