| A visit to the oldest independent bookstore in Philadelphia is a must. Larry says that the "joy of the book business is that you are working with language, ideas, and people..." Drop by Robin's Bookstore @108 S. 13th Street in the heart of the city or the annex @ 1837 Chestnut Street. Author events, music, coffee and "a cat named Jack" make the trip worthwhile! However, as of January 5th, 2009, Robins Books Store will close, ending yet another era in Philadelphia. Here are Larry's own words regarding the next step- "RESURRECTION
I know a world of words and books still exists, so I am creating a Social Center for Poetry and Literature, a center city salon where people can meet, listen to interesting presentations, purchase interesting books, have interesting conversations and generally maintain their cultural health. The center will exist on a renovated second floor at 110A S.13th Street. Exactly what it will be is up to you. I will still supply books for your events, service your meetings and arrange authors for your organizations. You can still get any book published or out of print from us delivered to your home.
Paul Hogan will continue to purchase and trade used books and libraries at 110A S. 13th Street. He can still be reached at 215-567-2615.
I plan on increasing our web presence and continuing to arrange author events at other venues: African-American authors at the African American Museum of Philadelphia; Asian-American authors at the Asian Arts Initiative; authors of books on history at The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. If you have a book club or an organization that is interested in author presentations, please contact me.
I have established a Crime Fiction Club with a Sunday brunch at an area restaurant and am working on other "club" type book events. If you have ideas for book and author events, clubs, or other programs you would like to present with us, contact me.
In the meantime enjoy our sale and save on books for the holidays, they make great gifts.
Thanks for keeping us in business for 73 years". Good luck, Larry. From Ray Tumarkin- The Philadelphia inquirer has nominated Larry to be "Citizen of the Year", and the New York Times and Denver Post make mention of the closing of the bookstore. Larry will be continuing his lecture and reading events in converted
space on the second floor of the 13th Street store. The first floor has been leased out to an
"urban garden" store.
The Pennsylvania Humanities Council has granted larry, through "Moonstone",
funding for a lecture series and essay contests for students in commemoration of
the 200th anniversary of the death of Tom Paine. One of the lectures is to be held at Central; others will take place at the Pennsylvania Historical Society and other area high schools.
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