It’s a pretty standard Thursday in a Key West bookstore, but a closer look may reveal renowned author and fierce literary advocate Judy Blume stocking the shelves with graphic novels, signed copies of the most anticipated publications and Florida-centric works. Venture a few steps farther and you’ll find yourself in a contemporary gallery with three more floors overhead abuzz with art classes, performances, artist studios and rooftop sunset-gazers.
No ordinary bookstore, Books & Books Key West is a gem just one block from the bustle of Duval: a locally owned, nonprofit, neighborhood space, affiliated with one of the nation’s leading independent bookstores. As part of The Studios of Key West, a nonprofit, multidisciplinary arts organization, Books & Books Key West satisfies a fundamental literature component. This week, the store will blow out the candles on its 10th birthday cake.
Books & Books Key West began as the brainchild of a small group of local book lovers, led by George Cooper, who previously founded the Tropic Cinema, and his wife, Judy Blume. When The Studios sought a new home in 2016 at the former Masonic Temple on Eaton Street, the staff and board recognized the corner-facing space at Eaton and Simonton streets as an ideal retail location. But it couldn’t be just any gift shop. Given the mission, structure and local commitment of the arts organization, any retail space would have to lean into creativity. It had to serve the community. It had to be right.
In a town dominated by the literary arts and haunted by the ghosts of Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and Elizabeth Bishop – and still frequented by scores of current authors – Books & Books presented itself as pure serendipity. Mitch Kaplan opened the original Books & Books in 1982. It occupied a 10,000-square-foot space in Coral Gables. It expanded to several additional locations before making its most recent jump to the end of U.S 1.
“This space exists because a community of people. Our philanthropic founders, The Studios of Key West, Books & Books, our community partners, our staff and volunteers, and especially our customers — all came together to create and sustain this literary outpost,” said the Key West store’s general manager, Emily Berg, recalling how it all came together more than a decade ago.
That literary outpost has grown into a thriving business that fundamentally supports the arts — carrying roughly 5,000 titles and contributing all revenue in excess of expenses to The Studios, a nonprofit arts organization. The spot is now a cherished corner in Key West, attracting local families, tourists and artists seeking supplies. Like the other locations, Books & Books Key West shares the same high level of integrity and quality as its original namesake, but possesses its own personality, tuned to the interests and reading habits of one very popular little island. Creating that particular flavor has been a labor of love.
“I don’t think any of us truly knew what to expect when we opened the doors 10 years ago,” Berg said. “I knew it would be a lot of work, but not this much. And we all hoped it would be worth it, but it’s been more rewarding than I ever could’ve imagined.”
Judy Blume echoed those sentiments as she reflected on the past decade of accomplishments.
“We knew nothing about running a bookstore but we learned fast thanks to Mitchell Kaplan,” Blume said. “We call him our guru, and his bookstore in Coral Gables, the Mothership. Mitch sent his employee, Viv, to Key West to teach us. She was smart, fierce and funny. I still remember her saying, ‘Keep it beautiful, keep it fresh, everyone dusts.’ The books were still in boxes when customers began knocking on the door.
“Ten years later, we are seasoned booksellers,” Blume added. “Emily has been our manager since the beginning and I can’t imagine doing this without her. Our staff is like family. We love our work and I think our customers feel that. And yes, we all still dust.”
