Boxcar Books

Boxcar Books in 2011

Boxcar Books was a non-profit, independent bookstore, infoshop, and community center in Bloomington, Indiana. Collectively run by volunteers, Boxcar Books was "one of the highest-volume zine sellers" in the United States.[1] According to its website, the store existed to "promote reading, self-education, social equality, and social welfare through increased accessibility to literature and workshops."[2] Boxcar Books was for a time also the home of the Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project, a non-profit organization that distributes books and reading materials to prisoners.[3] By the end of 2017, Boxcar Books had closed their operations. [4]

History

Boxcar Books and Community Center was founded by Oliver Haimson and Matthew Turissini in 2001. The bookstore included a wide selection of new and used nonfiction books with a particular focus on gender studies and "green" lifestyles. In 2008, the bookstore moved to a location closer to Indiana University.

Events

In addition to poetry readings[5] and community events, Boxcar Books regularly used to host the Writers Guild of Bloomington "Prose Reading & Open Mic"[6] on the first Sunday of the month and the "Bloomington Writer Project"[7] every Tuesday afternoon. The bookstore held an annual fundraising event for itself and the Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project called the "Rock n' Roll Prom."[8]

Target of hate groups

Boxcar Books was the target of protests by a white supremacist hate group called the Traditionalist Youth Network.[9][10][11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Reynolds, Adam. Boxcar Books: A B-town Store Like No Other, Bloom Magazine, Retrieved 26 November 2013
  2. ^ Boxcar Books Mission Statement
  3. ^ McDowell, Mercedez. Be an Advocate with Boxcar Archived 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 27 November 2013
  4. ^ "Closing Statement". Boxcar Books. 2017-12-02. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  5. ^ Osman, Rachel. "Poets present work at Boxcar Books Archived December 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine", Indiana Daily Student, Retrieved 27 November 2013
  6. ^ Writers Guild of Bloomington webpage
  7. ^ "Bloomington Writing Project webpage". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
  8. ^ McRobbie, Josephine. Boxcar Books Fundraiser Doubles As “Rock ‘N’ Roll Prom", Indiana Public Media, Retrieved 27 November 2013
  9. ^ Wildeman, Mary Katherine "Student activist promotes 'traditionalism' Archived December 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine", Indiana Daily Student, Retrieved 26 November 2013
  10. ^ "TRADITIONALIST YOUTH NETWORK PROTESTS AT BOXCAR BOOKS IN BLOOMINGTON, IN", Retrieved 26 November 2013
  11. ^ Mettler, Katie. "White supremacists protest bookstore Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine", Indiana Daily Student, Retrieved 27 November 2013

External links

  • Boxcar Books - official website

39°10′03″N 86°31′45″W / 39.1674°N 86.5293°W / 39.1674; -86.5293

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