List of Independent Alternatives to Closed Borders Bookstores

Introduction

On Wednesday morning, Borders announced that it would be filing for bankruptcy. As one of the first steps in bankruptcy proceedings, the nation’s second largest bookstore chain will be closing 200 of its stores and firing 6,000 of its 19,500 employees in the next few weeks.

It’s also worth pointing out that Borders has stiffed publishers for hundreds of millions of dollars. A recent Publishers Weekly breakdown reveals that Penguin Group (USA) is owed $41.1 million, Hachette is owed $36.9 million, Simon & Schuster is owed $33.8 million, Random House is owed $33.5 million, and HarperCollins is owed $25.8 million.

With thousands of jobs disappearing, hundreds of millions of dollars lost in bankruptcy limbo, and vital physical space possibly being taken up by other hands or converted into new retail areas that will have little to do with books, it would be a severe mistake to suggest that this won’t have a sizable impact on the book industry. On the other hand, now that the inevitable has occurred, the time has come to examine whether losing a Borders near you means losing the physical bookstore experience.

Laura Kuechenmeister, who handles events and marketing for the Albuquerque indie Bookworks, suggested in a recent blog post that it has become necessary for independents to work together to promote book culture. If the Borders closings represent an opportunity for the indies, then the moment has arrived for indies to serve as optimal community bookstores.

Yet it has been put forth by a few shortsighted pundits that “the space won’t come back.” Certainly many of the regular customers will shift to online spending and e-books. Sarah Weinman has proposed that the Borders closing represents the end of the chain bookstore era, suggesting that “we’ll look back and realize massive superstore chain bookstores were the subprime loans and credit default swaps of the publishing industry.”

In the next few years, booksellers will need to transform their operations in which physical space and community matters and those vital connections with customers become more personal and long-term. And the vital question we have to ask now is what the present bookstore grid looks like. As you can see from the list below, in most cases, there is an independent bookstore within ten miles from a closed Borders.

We should not discount the reality that some Borders closings will have a serious impact on communities, especially in rural areas within Colorado, Florida, and Ohio. Yet my investigations have also revealed that there are a great number of independent bookstores, often in unexpected areas. These independent bookstores are run not by faceless corporations, but passionate book lovers who very often read the books they stock. Their stock is, in most cases, almost exclusively physical books.

With digital book sales only making up 8.32% of the total book market (according to the latest AAP Publishers Repot), reports of the end of print books are greatly exaggerated.

In a USA Today article from last week, Fordham University marketing professor Albert Greco estimated that Borders has about 8.1% of the total book market. However, it’s worth pointing out that most of Borders’s 500 stores have opened up only in the last decade. How much of this 8.1% will move on to other physical bookstores? It is my hope that, in assembling this list, I have given that 8.1% share of the marketplace a very good reason to continue to support bookstores, especially those bookstores run by people who are interested in supporting the community.

Methodology: The list of 200 Borders bookstores was obtained from court records. I located the alternative bookstores using a variety of online sources (Indiebound, Yelp, Citysearch) and attempted to include independent bookstores that were favorably reviewed by customers. Mileage was calculated by ZIP Code. As of February 18, 2011, I have confirmed that all of the following bookstores all remain open for business. I have also eliminated the two Puerto Rico bookstores that are closing. Like the Hawaii situation, if a Borders store closes on an island, chances are that you’ll have to go for a swim to find an alternative. I encourage the readers to leave comments if there are independent bookstores that I have overloooked or if the information is inaccurate. I will happily amend the list to account for any late-stage crowdsourcing.

2/20/11 UPDATE: Thanks to all who have spread the link around and offered additional alternatives in both the comments and on Twitter. I have amended the list to reflect this input. Please be advised that the criteria involves bookstores that are close to a closing Borders. So if I have missed your favorite independent bookstore, it is probably because there were other bookstores that were closer to the closed Borders in question. Nevertheless, I have added all received suggestions. Please feel free to continue with the comments and I will offer another update.

7/19/11 UPDATE: As of Monday, July 18, 2011, Borders could not find a buyer. It will be closing all of its stores. In the next few weeks, I will be preparing a revised list incorporating these new stores, along with the data we have generated from this list. Thanks to all for your continued input.

Alaska

Borders Bookstore #88
1100 E. Diamond Blvd., Anchorage, AK 99515
Alternatives:
University of Alaska Bookstore, 2905 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508 (5.7 miles)
Title Wave Books, 1360 West Northern Lights, Anchorage, AK 99503 (5.8 miles)

Arizona

Borders Bookstore #596
10100 W. McDowell Road, Avondale, AZ 85323
Alternatives:
Thrifty Joe’s, 6020 W Bell Road, #E104, Glendale, AZ 85308 (12.0 miles)
Bookmans Phoenix, 8034 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85021 (12.1 miles)
Bent Cover Books, 12428 N. 28th Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85029 (12.6 miles)

Borders Bookstore #282
870 N. 54th Street, Chandler, AZ 85226
Alternatives:
Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 South McClintock Drive, Tempe, AZ 85283 (6.3 miles)
Ecobooks, 227 E Baseline Road, Suite #J-5, Tempe, AZ 85283 (7.2 miles)
Red-Tail Books, 204 N Florence St, Casa Grande, AZ 85122 (Thanks, Dave)

Borders Bookstore #69
1361 S. Alma School Road, Mesa, AZ 85210
Alternatives:
Bookmans Mesa, 1056 S. County Club Dr., Mesa, AZ 85210 (0.0 miles)
Those Were the Days, 628 N. Center Street, Mesa, AZ 85201 (2.9 miles)

Borders Bookstore #342
4555 East Cactus Road, Phoenix, AZ 85032
Alternatives:
Book Krazy, 1601 East Bell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85022 (2.7 miles)
Bent Cover Books, 12428 N. 28th Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85029 (6.9 miles)
Bookmans Phoenix, 8034 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85021 (7.4 miles)

Borders Bookstore #54
2402 E. Camelback Road, Suite 200, Phoenix, AZ 85016
Alternatives:
Bards Books, 3508 N. 7th Street, #145, Phoenix, AZ 85014 (2.8 miles)
The Poisoned Pen, 4014 North Goldwater, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (5.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #641
7135 East Camelback Road, Space 140, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Alternatives:
The Poisoned Pen, 4014 North Goldwater, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (0.0 miles)
Bards Books, 3508 N. 7th Street, #145, Phoenix, AZ 85014 (6.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #538
7000 E. Mayo Blvd., Suite 1050, Scottsdale, AZ 85054
Alternatives:
Book Krazy, 1601 East Bell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85022 (6.3 miles)
Pages, 7100 E Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (10.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #18
4235 N Oracle Road, Tuscon, AZ 85705
Alternatives:
Revolutionary Grounds, 606 N. 4th Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705 (0.0 miles)
Antigone Books, 411 North 4th Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85705 (0.0 miles)
Bookmans, 3733 West Ina Road, Tucson, AZ 85741 (2.0 miles)
Bookmans, 1930 E. Grant Rd., Tucson, Arizona 86719 (6.9 miles) (Thanks, Matthew Garcia.)
Bookmans, 6230 E. Speedway Blvd., Tucson, Arizona 85712 (11.6 miles) (Thanks, Matthew Garcia.)

Arkansas

Borders Bookstore #318
2203 South 45th Street, Suite 12100, Rogers, AR 72758
Alternatives:
Coffee Break Book Store, 955 N. Curtis Ave., Pea Ridge, AK 72751 (10.7 miles)
Nightbird Books, 205 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville, AR 72701 (17.3 miles)

California

Borders Bookstore #233
Alameda Towne Centre, 2245 South Shore Center, Alameda, CA 94501
Alternatives:
Books Inc., 1344 Park St., Alameda, California 94501 (0.0 miles) (Thanks, Steve)
Wilmots Books, 478 Central Ave., Alameda, California 94501 (0.0 miles) (Thanks, Steve)
Kevin Patrick Books, 2170 Encinal Ave., Alameda, CA 94501 (0.0 miles) (Thanks, Alameda Annie)
Books Inc., 1344 Park Street, Alameda, CA 94501 (0.0 miles) (Thanks, Alameda Annie)
Tavistock Books, 1503 Webster Street Alameda, CA 94501 (0.0 miles) (Thanks, Steve)
Rebound Bookstore, 1611 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 (0.0 miles)
Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, CA 94925 (3.4 miles)

Borders Bookstore #224
12741 Towne Center Drive, Cerritos, CA 90703
Alternatives:
One Dollar Bookstore, 4661 Silva St., Lakewood, CA 90712 (5.3 miles)
BookTown USA, 2090 S. Euclid Street, Anaheim, CA 92802 (7.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #497
3833 Grand Avenue, Chino, CA 91710
Alternatives:
Books Redux, 18508 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, CA 92886 (9.0 miles)
Bronco Bookstore, 3801 W. Temple Ave., Bldg. 66, Pomona, CA 91768 (9.0 miles)
Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop, 1030 Bonita Avenue, La Verne, CA 91750 (10.8 miles)

Borders Bookstore #470
159 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon, CA 92020
Alternatives:
Somewhere Else Coffeehouse & Bookstore, 330 South Magnolia, El Cajon, CA 92020 (0.0 miles)
Book Place, 6122 Lake Murray Blvd., La Mesa, CA 91942 (4.3 miles)
Readers Inc., 8219 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa, CA 91941 (children’s bookstore)
The Yellow Book Road, 7200 Parkway Drive #118, La Mesa, CA (6.6 miles) (Thanks, Melissa Wiley)

Borders Bookstore #404
39210 Fremont Hub, Suite 211, Fremont, CA 94538
Alternatives:
Towne Center Books, 555 Main Street, Pleasanton, CA 94566 (9.0 miles)
The Book Shop, 1007 B Street, Hayward, CA 94541 (9.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #149
100 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91204
Alternatives:
Mystery & Imagination, 238 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203 (0.9 miles)
Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027 (2.9 miles)
Stories, 1716 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026 (4.2 miles)

Borders Bookstore #527
1310 S. Beach Blvd., La Habra, CA 90631
Alternatives:
Books N Bits, 11806 186th St., Artesia, CA 90701 (8.6 miles)
Books Redux, 18508 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, CA 92886 (9.0 miles)

Borders Bookstore #139
2110 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90815
Alternatives:
Open, 2226 East 4th Street, Long Beach, CA 90814 (3.0 miles)
One Dollar Bookstore, 4661 Silva St., Lakewood, CA 90712 (4.0 miles)
Secret Passages, 406 E. 3rd Street, Long Beach, CA 90802 (4.2 miles)

Borders Bookstore #690
101 South Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
Alternatives:
Secret Passages, 406 E. 3rd Street, Long Beach, CA 90802 (0.0 miles)
Williams Bookstore, 443 West 6th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731 (2.7 miles)
Open, 2226 East 4th Street, Long Beach, CA 90814 (5.0 miles)

Borders Bookstore #154
10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90067
Alternatives:
The Mystery Bookstore, 1036 C Broxton Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90024 (1.0 miles) (Closed, thanks Geo Ong)
UCLA Bookzone, 308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024 (1.5 miles)
Alias Books, 1650 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025 (1.9 miles)
Diesel A Bookstore, 225 26th Street, Suite 33, Santa Monica, CA 90402 (Thanks Geo Ong)

Borders Bookstore #374
6081 Center Drive, Suite 118, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Alternatives:
Zahara’s Books N Things, 900 N. La Brea Ave., Inglewood, CA 90312 (3.1 miles)
Pages, 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 (4.0 miles)

Borders Bookstore #192
50 University Avenue, Suite 280, Los Gatos, CA 95030
Alternatives:
Hicklebee’s, 1378 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125 (6.8 miles)
Leigh’s, 121 S. Murphy Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (10.8 miles)

Borders Bookstore #243
12423 Limonite Ave., Mira Loma, CA 91752
Alternatives:
DW Pages, 470 McKinley St., Corona, CA 92879 (5.5 miles)
Books Redux, 18508 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, CA 92886 (15.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #357
3900 Sisk Road, Modesto, CA 95356
Alternatives:
Yesterday’s Books, 3457 McHenry Ave., Modesto, CA 95350 (3.3 miles)
Graham’s Books and More, 328 North Main Street, Angels Camp, CA 95221 (36.2 miles)
Mountain Bookshop, 13769-I Mono Way, Sonora, California 95370 (52.5 miles) (Thanks, John)

Borders Bookstore #105
5055 S. Plaza Lane, Montclair, CA 91763
Alternatives:
Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop, 1030 Bonita Avenue, La Verne, CA 91750 (6.9 miles)
Bronco Bookstore, 3801 W. Temple Ave., Bldg. 66, Pomona, CA 91768 (7.7 miles)
Covina Book Store, 234 N. Citrus Ave, Covina, CA 91723 (13.7 miles) (Thanks, Lisa Hendrix)

Borders Bookstore #266
20 City Boulevard, W., Orange, CA 92868
Alternatives:
Bookman, 840 N. Tustin St., Orange, CA 92867 (2.6 miles)
Compass Books, Downtown Disney, Anaheim, CA 92802 (3.0 miles)
BookTown USA, 2090 S. Euclid St., Anaheim, CA 92802 (3.8 miles)
Book Off, 2955 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (7.9 miles)

Borders Bookstore #485
241 W. Esplanade Drive, Oxnard, CA 93030
Alternatives:
Mr. Fig’s Bookworm, 93 East Daily Dr., Camarillo, CA 93010 (5.9 miles)
Abednego Book Shoppe, 2982 E. Main St., Ventura, CA 93003 (7.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #263
475 S. Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
Alternatives:
Cliff’s Books, 630 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101 (0.0 miles)
Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 East Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101 (0.0 miles)
Covina Book Store, 234 N. Citrus Ave, Covina, CA 91723 (17.7 miles) (Thanks, Lisa Hendrix)

Borders Bookstore #576
8852 Washington Blvd., Pico Rivera, CA 90660
Alternatives:
Nostalgic Books & Comics, 517 West Main Street, Alhambra, CA 91801 (7.3 miles)
Books N Bits, 11806 186th Street, Artesia, CA 90701 (8.3 miles)

Borders Bookstore #117
4575 Rosewood Drive, Pleasanton, CA 94588
Alternatives:
Towne Center Books, 555 Main Street, Pleasanton, CA 94566 (3.8 miles)
Read Booksellers, 3630 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville, CA 9506 (6.4 miles)

Borders Bookstore #523
550 Deep Valley Drive, Suite 261, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
Alternatives:
Williams’ Book Store, 443 West 6th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731 (5.2 miles)
Dave’s Olde Book Shop, 2123 Artesia Blvd., Redondo Beach, CA 90278 (7.4 miles)

Borders Bookstore #362
668 6th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101
Alternatives:
Upstart Crow, 835 C West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101 (0.0 miles)
Fifth Avenue Books, 3838 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103 (2.3 miles)
Bluestocking Books, 3817 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103 (2.3 miles)

Borders Bookstore #57
400 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Alternatives:
Books Inc., 601 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102 (0.0 miles)
Bibliohead Bookstore, 334 Gough Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (0.0 miles)
City Lights, 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133 (0.8 miles) (Thanks, @CityLightsBooks)

Borders Bookstore #605
845 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Alternatives:
Books Inc., 601 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102 (0.7 miles)
Bibliohead Bookstore, 334 Gough Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (0.7 miles)
Alexander Book Co., 50 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 (1.0 miles)
Green Apple Books, 506 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94118 (2 miles) (Thanks, Pete Mulvihill)

Borders Bookstore #491
356 Santana Row, Suite 1030, San Jose, CA 95128
Alternatives:
Hicklebee’s, 1378 Lincoln Ave., San Jose, CA 95125 (2.4 miles)
Leigh’s Favorite Books, 121 S. Murphy, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (6.5 miles)
Recycle Bookstore, 1066 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126 (Thanks, Laurie Daugherty)
Recycle Bookstore, 275 E. Campbell, San Jose, CA 95008 (Thanks, Laurie Daugherty)
Kepler’s Bookstore, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (Thanks, Laurie Daugherty)

Borders Bookstore #587
925 Blossom Hill Road, Suite 1741, San Jose, CA 95123
Alternatives:
Hicklebee’s, 1378 Lincoln Ave., San Jose, CA 95125 (6.4 miles)
Booksmart, 80 East Second St., Morgan Hill, CA 95037 (11.9 miles)
Recycle Bookstore, 1066 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126 (Thanks, Laurie Daugherty)
Recycle Bookstore, 275 E. Campbell, San Jose, CA 95008 (Thanks, Laurie Daugherty)
Kepler’s Bookstore, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (Thanks, Laurie Daugherty)

Borders Bookstore #141
2925 El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA 94403
Alternatives:
M is for Mystery, 86 East Third, San Mateo, CA 94401 (1.9 miles)
Books Inc., 1375 Burlingame Ave., Burlingame, CA 94010 (3.5 miles)
The Reading Bug, 785 Laurel St., San Carlos, CA 94070 (3.6 miles)

Borders Bookstore #379
120 Sunset Dr., San Ramon, CA 94583
Alternatives:
Bay Books, 2415 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon, CA 94583 (0.0 miles)
Rakestraw Books, 522 Hartz Blvd., Danville, CA 94526 (4.0 miles)
Read, 4040 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville, CA 94506 (5.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #387
1200 Pacific Ave., Suite 100, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Alternatives:
Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (0.0 miles)
The Literary Guillotine, 204 Locust St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (0.0 miles)
Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz CA 95060 (0.2 miles) (Thanks, Janina and Colleen.)
Capitola Book Cafe, 1475 41st Ave., Capitola, CA 95010 (2.9 miles)

Borders Bookstore #359
14651 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Alternatives:
Portrait of a Bookstore, 4360 Tujunga Avenue, Studio City, CA 91604 (5.0 miles)
UCLA Bookzone, 308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024 (5.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #621
10776 Trinity Parkway, Stockton, CA 95219
Alternatives:
Books Rio V, 207-A Main Street, Rio Vista, CA 94571 (10.1 miles)
Read, 4040 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville, CA 94506 (26.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #450
2493 Park Ave., Tustin, CA 92782
Alternatives:
A Whale of a Tale, 4199 Campus Drive, Irvine, CA 92612 (3.9 miles)
UCI Bookstore, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 (4.2 miles)
One Dollar Bookstore, 8520 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, CA 92869 (6.7 miles)
New & Recycled Romance 147 Broadway, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 (9.6 miles) (Thanks, Lisa Hendrix)

Borders Bookstore #443
32111 Union Landing Blvd., Union City, CA 94587
Alternatives:
The Book Shop, 1007 B Street, Hayward, CA 94541 (5.6 miles)
Jordan’s Village, 3224 Village Dr., Castro Valley, CA 94546 (7.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #297
24445 Town Center Dr., Valencia, CA 91355
Alternatives:
Books in the Belfry, 5453 Satsuma Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91601 (20.3 miles)
Dark Delicacies, 4213 W. Burbank, Burbank, CA 91505 (20.6 miles)
Iliad Bookshop, 5400 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601 (20.6 miles)

Borders Bookstore #402
22401 Old Canal Road, Yorba Linda, CA 92887
Alternatives:
Books Redux, 18508 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, CA 92886 (4.9 miles)
One Dollar Bookstore, 8520 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, CA 92869 (7.5 miles)

Colorado

Borders Bookstore #481
6606 South Parker Road, Aurora, CO 80015
Alternatives:
The Bookies, 4315 East Mississippi Ave., Denver, CO 80246 (10.1 miles)
Hermitage Bookshop, 290 Fillmore St., Denver, CO 80206 (11.7 miles)
Tattered Cover, Lowenstein Theater, Denver, Colorado 80206 (12.1 miles) (Thanks, Matthew Garcia)

Borders Bookstore #407
1750 Twenty Ninth Street, Suite 1052, Boulder, CO 80301
Alternatives:
Troubadour Books, 5290 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, CO 80303 (1.0 miles)
Red Letter Secondhand Books, 1737 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 80302 (3.3 miles)
Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 80302 (3.3 miles) (Thanks, Drew)
Trident Booksellers and Cafe, 940 Pearl St, Boulder, CO, 80302 (Thanks, Paul Nuhn)
Innisfree Poetry, 1203 13th St. Suite A, Boulder, CO 80302 (Thanks, Brian)

Borders Bookstore #545
264 Dillon Ridge Way, Dillon, CO 80435
Alternatives:
The Next Page, 409 Main Street, Frisco, CO 80443 (2.8 miles)
Hamlet’s Bookshoppe, 306 South Main Street, Breckenridge, CO 80424 (8.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #562
2464 US Highway 6 & 50, Suite 132, Grand Junction, CO 81505
Alternatives:
Expressions Book Store, 302 2nd Street, Paonia, CO 81428 (51.4 miles)
Avis on the Corner, 325 6th Street, Meeker, CO 81641 (62.9 miles)

Borders Bookstore #413
2863 35th Ave., Greeley, CO 80634
Alternatives:
Anthology Book Company, 942 9th Avenue, Greeley, CO 80631 (17.1 miles)
Book Haven, 1408 N. Lincoln, Loveland, CO 80538 (17.4 miles)

Borders Bookstore #375
8501 West Bowles Ave., Littleton, CO 80123
Alternatives:
Bo Peep Books, 987 Welch Court, Golden, CO 80401 (4.8 miles)
Tattered Cover, 9315 Dorchester, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 (5.8 miles)

Connecticut

Borders Bookstore #214
110 Federal Road, Danbury, CT 06811
Alternatives:
Books on the Common, 404 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877 (10.5 miles)
Bank Street Book Nook, 50 Bank Street, New Millford, CT 06776 (10.8 miles)
Rainy Day Paperback Exchange, 81 Greenwood Ave., Bethel, CT 06801 (Thanks, Monique)

Borders Bookstore #60
59 Pavilions Drive, Manchester, CT 06040
Alternatives:
The Book Bar, 187 Route 66 East, 1C, Columbia, CT 06237 (13.3 miles)
Broad Street Books, 45 Broad Street, Middletown, CT 06457 (15.7 miles)
UConn Co-Op, 2075 Hillside Road, Storrs Mansfield, CT 06269 (19.9 miles) (Thanks, Suzy Staubach)

Borders Bookstore #165
1201 Boston Post Road, Milford, CT 06460
Alternatives:
Collected Stories, 12 Daniel St., Milford, CT 06460 (0.0 miles)
Rainy Faye, 940 Broad Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604 (7.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #378
500 Bushy Hill Road, Simsbury, CT 06070
Alternatives:
Millrace Books, 40 Mill Lane, Farmington, CT 06032 (7.6 miles)
Nobel Scholar Book Store, 1191 Farmington Ave., Bristol, CT 06010 (9.8 miles)

Borders Bookstore #833
Southbury Plaza, 100 Main Street North, Spc 17, Southbury, CT 06488
Alternatives:
Bank Street Book Nook, 50 Bank Street, New Millford, CT 06776 (12.1 miles)
Hickory Stick Bookshop, 2 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot, CT 06794 (12.8 miles)
Rainy Day Paperback Exchange, 81 Greenwood Ave., Bethel, CT 06801 (Thanks, Monique)

Borders Bookstore #530
14 Danbury Road (Gateway Center), Wilton, CT 06897
Alternatives:
Elm Street Books, 35 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT 06840 (5.1 miles)
Books on the Common, 404 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877 (5.8 miles)

DC

Borders Bookstore #285
5333 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20015
Alternatives:
Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008 (0.9 miles)
Booktopia, 4701 Sangamore Road, Betheseda, MD 20816 (3.2 miles)

Borders Bookstore #50
1801 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
Alternatives:
Chapters, 445 11th Street, Washington, DC 20004 (1.0 miles) (No longer physical location; thanks JH)
Bridge Street Books, 2814 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20007 (1.5 miles)
Second Story Books, 2000 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036 (1.5 miles)
Kramerbooks & Afterwords, 1517 Conn. Ave., Washington, DC 20036 (Thanks, JH)

Florida

Borders Bookstore #181
880 W. State Road, #436, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
Alternatives:
B & L Books, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 (0.0 miles)
The Book Worm, 2400 E Washington St., Orlando, FL 32803 (10.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #493
2020 Town Center Blvd., Brandon, FL 33511
Alternatives:
Inkwood Books, 216 South Armenia Ave., Tampa, FL 33609 (11.7 miles)
Mojo Books & Music, 2558 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33612 (13.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #593
2683 Gulf to Bay Blvd., Clearwater, FL 33759
Alternatives:
Book Bank, 10500 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL 33771 (7.2 miles)
Books at Park Place, 3710 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park, FL 33781 (9.0 miles)
Haslam’s, 2025 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33713 (14 miles) (Thanks, Monique)

Borders Bookstore #124
2240 E. Sunrise Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304
Alternatives:
Well Read, 1374 Southeast 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 (2.3 miles)
The Bookshop, 3020 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 (2.4 miles) (Sadly, closing in two weeks; thanks Victor Velasco)
Underground Coffeehaus, 2473 E Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 (2.5 miles)
Books & Books, Museum of Art-Fort Lauderdale, One East Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 (Thanks, Mark)

Borders Bookstore #604
Gulf Coast Town Center, 10037 Gulf Center Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33913
Alternatives:
Cypress Paperback Exchange, 9541 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33919 (12.6 miles)
Sanibel Island Bookshop, 1571 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957 (23.3 miles)
Sandman Book Company, 16500 Burnt Store Road, #109, Punta Gorda, FL 33955 (24.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #355
6837 Newberry Road, Gainesville, FL 32605
Alternatives:
Book Gallery West, 4121 NW 16th Blvd., Gainsville, FL 32605 (0.0 miles)
Books, Inc., 505 NW 13th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601 (2.0 miles)

Borders Bookstore #207
8801 Southside Blvd., Ste. 10, Jacksonville, FL 32256
Alternatives:
The Book Mark, 220 1st Street, Neptune Beach, FL 32265 (12.1 miles)
Comics & Classics, 1722 Third Street North, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250 (13.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #395
3066 NW Federal Highway, Jensen Beach, FL 34957
Alternatives:
Vero Beach Book Center, 2145 Indian River Blvd., Vero Beach, FL 32960 (26.4 miles)
Classic Bookshop, 310 South County Road, Palm Beach, FL 33480 (41.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #410
10600 Tamiami Trail North, Suite 600, Naples, FL 34108
Alternatives:
The Curiosity Shop, 2381 Davis Blvd., Naples, FL 34104
Macintosh Books, 2365 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957 (19.2 miles)

Borders Bookstore #254
9441 W. Colonial Drive, Oocee, FL 34761
Alternatives:
B & L Books, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 (8.1 miles)
The Book Worm, 2400 E Washington St., Orlando, FL 32803 (9.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #279
1051 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809
Alternatives:
The Book Worm, 2400 E Washington St., Orlando, FL 32803 (6.2 miles)
Brightlight Books, 1099 State Road 436, Casselberry, FL 32707 (13.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #259
8285 Red Bug Lake Road, Ovledo, FL 32765
Alternatives:
Brightlight Books, 1099 State Road 436, Casselberry, FL 32707 (7.0 miles)
Maya Books, 201 East 1st Street, Sanford, FL 32771 (10.7 miles)
The Book Worm, 2400 E. Washington St., Orlando, FL 32803 (12.0 miles)

Borders Bookstore #222
12171 W. Sunrise Blvd., Plantation, FL 33323
Alternatives:
Big Apple Books, 1151 NE 45th Street, Pompano Beach, FL 33334 (11.7 miles)
Well Read, 1374 Southeast 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 (12.3 miles)
The Bookshop, 3020 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 (12.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #626
3800 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34239
Alternatives:
Circle Books, 478 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34236 (3.6 miles)
Little Bookworms< 478 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, FL (7.6 miles) Sanddollar Books, 272 Miami Avenue West, Venice, FL 34285 (15.3 miles)

Borders Bookstore #148
909 Dale Mabry, Tampa, FL 33609
Alternatives:
Inkwood Books, 216 South Armenia Ave., Tampa, FL 33609 (0.0 miles)
Mojo Books, 2588 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33612 (9.1 miles)
Haslam’s, 2025 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33713 (Thanks, Monique)

Borders Bookstore #171
12500 N. Dale Mbwy, Tampa, FL 33618
Alternatives:
Mojo Books, 2588 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33612 (4.3 miles)
Book Swap of Carrollwood, 3144 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL 35614 (8.0 miles) (Thanks, Heather)
Inkwood Books, 216 South Armenia Ave., Tampa, FL 33609 (9.3 miles)
Haslam’s, 2025 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33713 (Thanks, Monique)

Georgia

Borders Bookstore #256
3101 Cobb Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339
Alternatives:
The Corner Bookstore, 220 CNN Center, Atlanta, GA 30303 (7.2 miles)
Outwrite Bookstore, 991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA 30309 (7.7 miles)
A Cappella Books, 484-C Moreland Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30307 (8.7 miles)
Atlanta Vintage Books, 3660 Clairmont Road, Chamblee, GA 30341 (8.9 miles) (Thanks, Jimmy Lo)
Books Again, 225 North McDonough Street, Decatur, GA, 30030 (12 miles) (Thanks, Jimmy Lo)
Little Shop of Stories, 133 East Court Square, Decatur GA 30030 (14.5 miles) (Thanks, Diane Capriola)
Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307 (Thanks, Sara Luce Look)

Borders Bookstore #298
1605 East-West Connector Road, Austell, GA 30106
Alternatives:
Book Worm , 4451 Marrietta St., Powder Springs, GA 30127 (4.4 miles)
The Corner Bookstore, 220 CNN Center, Atlanta, GA 30303 (14.2 miles)
Once & Again Books, 2960 Shallowford Road, Marietta, GA 30066 (14.6 miles)

Borders Bookstore #360
1705 Mall of Georgia Blvd., Suite 200, Buford, GA 30519
Alternatives:
Books for Less, 2815 Buford Dr., Buford, GA 30519 (0.0 miles)
Humpus Bumpus Books, 703 Atlanta Road, Cumming, GA 30040 (14.1 miles)
Read It Again, 3630 Peachtree Parkway, Swanee, GA 30024 (14.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #411
605 Ernest W. Barrett Parkway, Building 400, Kennesaw, GA 30144
Alternatives:
FoxTale Book Shoppe, 105 East Main St., Woodstock, GA 30188 (7.5 miles)
Once & Again Books, 2960 Shallowford Road, Marietta, GA 30066 (10.1 miles)
Book Exchange, 2956 Canton Rd. Marietta, GA 30066 (Thanks, Cathy Blanco)

Borders Bookstore #691
3630 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 100, Suanee, GA 30024
Alternatives:
Read It Again, 3630 Peachtree Parkway, Swanee, GA 30024 (0.0 miles)
Books for Less, 2815 Buford Dr., Buford, GA 30519 (6.0 miles)
Humpus Bumpus Books, 703 Atlanta Road, Cumming, GA 30040 (6.7 miles)

Hawaii

Borders Bookstore #206
75-1000 Henry Street, Kallua-Kona, HI 96740
Alternatives:
Kona Stories, 79-7460 Mamalaha Highway, Kealakekua, HI 96750 (16.8 miles)
Talk Story Bokstore, 3785 Hanapepe Road, Hanapepe, Kaua’i, HI (Thanks, E)
Logos Bookstore of Hawaii, 1024 Queen Street, Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii (Thanks, E)
Hanalei Book Store, 4489 Aku Road, Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii (Thanks E)

Borders Bookstore #95
4030 Nawillwill, Lihue, HI 96766
Alternatives:
Unknown aside from Kona Stories. Hawaii, being a group of islands, is particularly hard hit by the Borders closings. However, there are three Barnes & Nobles located in Hawaii — two in Honolulu, one in Maui.

Illinois

Borders Bookstore #480
161 N. Webber, Bolingbrook, IL 60490
Alternatives:
Anderson’s, 123 West Jefferson Ave., Naperville, IL 60540 (8.3 miles)
Old Towne Books & Tea., 61 S. Madison St., #63, Oswego, IL 60543 (9.3 miles)

Borders Bookstore #408
3539 E. Main, St. Charles, IL 60174
Alternatives:
Town House Books, 105 North 2nd Avenue, St. Charles, IL 60174 (0.0 miles)
Books at Sunset, 1100 South Street, Elgin, IL 60123 (9.3 miles)

Borders Bookstore #564
775 W. North Avenue, Chicago, IL 60610
Alternatives:
Open Books, 213 W. Institute Place, Chicago, IL 60610 (0.0 miles)
Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, 357 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60610 (0.0 miles)
Barbara’s Bookstore, 201 East Huron, Chicago, IL 60611 (0.4 miles)

Borders Bookstore #554
4718 N. Broadway Ave., Chicago, IL 60640
Alternatives:
Women and Children First< 5233 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60640 (0.0 miles) Ravenswood Used Books, 4626 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625 (1.4 miles)
Book Cellar, 4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60625 (1.4 miles)

Borders Bookstore #517
6103 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60659
Alternatives:
Book Cellar, 4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60625 (1.9 miles)
Ravenswood Used Books, 4626 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625 (2.1 miles)
Women and Children First< 5233 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60640 (2.3 miles) Borders Bookstore #101
2817 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60657
Alternatives:
Bookworks, 3444 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60657 (0.0 miles)
Unabridged Bookstore, 3251 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657 (0.0 miles)
Ravenswood Used Books, 4626 North Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60625 (2.1 miles)
Bookleggers, 2907 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657 (Thanks, Joseph Finn)
Chicago Comics, 3224 N Clark, Chicago, IL 60657 (Thanks, Joseph Finn)

Borders Bookstore #284
2210 W. 95th Street, Chicago, IL 60643
Alternatives:
The Bookie’s Paperbacks & More, 2419 W. 103rd Street, Chicago, IL 60655 (3.8 miles)
The Seminary Co-Op Bookstores, 5757 South University Ave., Chicago, IL 60637 (9.3 miles)
57th Street Books, 1301 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637 (9.4 miles)

Borders Bookstore #265
6000 Northwestern Highway, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Alternatives:
Read Between the Lynes, 129 Van Buren Street, Woodstock, IL 60098 (11.2 miles)
This Old Book, 138 Center Street, Grayslake, IL 60030 (11.8 miles)

Borders Bookstore #33
49 S. Waukegan Road, Deerfield, IL 60015
Alternatives:
The Book Bin, 1151 Church St., Northbrook, IL 60062 (1.5 miles)
The Book Stall at Chestnut Court, 811 Elm Street, Winnetka, IL 60093 (5.3 miles)
Lake Forest Book Store, 680 N Western Ave, Lake Forest, IL 60045 (7 miles) (Thanks, Catherine Savage)

Borders Bookstore #498
2520 Sycamore Road, DeKalb, IL 60115
Alternatives:
Eclectique Green Boutique, 300 E. Main Street, Plano, IL (18.1 miles)
Town House Books & Cafe, 105 North 2nd Ave., Saint Charles, IL 60174 (18.8 miles)

Borders Bookstore #144
1700 Maple Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201
Alternatives:
Bookman’s Alley, 1712 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, Illinois 60201 (0.0 miles)
The Book Stall at Chestnut Court, 811 Elm Street, Winnetka, IL 60093 (3.9 miles)
Market Fresh Books, 700 Church St., Evanston, IL 60201 (Thanks, Paul)
Market Fresh Books, 602 Davis Street, Evanston, IL 60201 (Thanks, Paul)

Borders Bookstore #575
4824 West 211th Street, Matteson, IL 60443
Alternatives:
Azizi Books, 134 Lincoln Mall Drive, Matteson, IL 60443 (0.0 miles)
Empire Books, 20879 S. LaGrange Road, Frankfort, IL 60423 (4.3 miles)

Borders Bookstore #503
2221 Richmond Road, McHenry, IL 60050
Alternatives:
Cafe Book, 395 Lake Street, Antioch, Illinois 60002 (6.9 miles)
This Old Book, 138 Center Street, Grayslake, Illinois 60030 (8.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #363
909 North Elmhurst Road, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056
Alternatives:
Top Shelf Books, 47 East Northwest Highway, Palatine, Illinois 60067 (6.7 miles)
The Book Bin, 1151 Church Street, Northbrook, Illinois 60062 (7.0 miles)

Borders Bookstore #516
200 A North Greenbriar Drive, Normal, IL 61761
Alternatives:
Babbitt’s Books, 119 E. Beaufort Street, Normal, Illinois 61761 (0.0 miles)
Bookworm Books, 3261 Court St. Pekin, Illinois 61554 (32.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #483
7100 W. Forest Preserve Drive, Norridge, IL 60706
Alternatives:
Burke’s Books of Park Ridge, 2 Prairie Avenue, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068 (3.3 miles)
Book Cellar, 4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60625 (5.5 miles)
The Book Table, 1045 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 60301 (6.7 miles) (Thanks, Jason B. Smith and Rachel)

Indiana

Borders Bookstore #504
2381 Pointe Parkway, Carmel, IN 46032
Alternatives:
Big Hat Books, 6510 Cornell Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46220 (4.7 miles)
Mudsock Books & Curiosity Shoppe, 11631 Fishers Station Drive, Fishers, IN 46038 (4.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #508
6401 E. Lloyds Expressway, Suite 1, Evansville, IN 47715
Alternatives:
The Book Emporium, 303 S. Commercial, #9, Harrisburg, IL 62946 (61.6 miles)
Next Chapter Bookstore, 212 South Cross St., Robinson, IL 62454 (61.6 miles)

Borders Bookstore #488
11 S. Meridian Street, Suite 110, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Alternatives:
Out Word Bound, 625 North East Street, Indianapolis, IN 46022 (0.3 miles) (Closed, thanks Mike Mullin)
Big Hat Books, 6510 Cornell Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46220 (6.6 miles)
Downtown Comics, 5767 East 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46250 (10.0 miles)
Kids Ink, 5619 N. Illinois, Indianapolis, IN 46208 (Thanks Mike Mullin)
Borders Bookstore #600
2074 Southlake Mall, Merrilville, IN 46410
Alternatives:
Azizi Books, 134 Lincoln Mall Drive, Matteson, Illinois 60443 (20.8 miles)
The Bookie’s Paperbacks, 2419 W 103rd, Chicago, Illinois 60655 (24.2 miles)

Borders Bookstore #195
4230 Grape Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545
Alternatives:
The Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore, Bookstore Building, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 (2.6 miles)
Erasmus Books, 1027 E. Wayne, South Bend, Indiana 46617 (3.3 miles)

Borders Bookstore #518
348 E. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906
Alternatives:
Purdue West Bookstore, 1400 W State St, Lafayette, Indiana 47906 (0.0 miles) (not an actual bookstore, thanks Jade!)
Von’s Book Shop, 315 West State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906 (0.0 miles)

Kansas

Borders Bookstore #203
700 New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS 66044
Alternatives:
The Raven Bookstore, 6 East 7th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044 (0.0 miles)
The Dusty Bookshelf, 708 Massachusetts, Lawrence, KS 66044 (0.0 miles)

Borders Bookstore #122
1715 Rock Road & 13th Street, Wichita, KS 67206
Alternatives:
Prairie Archives, 522 East Adams, Springfield, IL 52701 (0.2 miles)
Trunk Novels, 1337 Wabash Ave., Springfield, IL 62704 (2.7 miles)
Watermark Books, 4701 East Douglas Avenue, Wichita, KS 67218 (3.9 miles) (Thanks, @Ragesingoddess)
Eighth Day Books, 2838 East Douglas Avenue, Wichita, KS 67214 (5.1 miles) (Thanks, @Ragesingoddess)

Kentucky

Borders Bookstore #571
2520 S. Hurstborne Gem Lane, Louisville, KY 40220
Alternatives:
Carmichael’s Bookstore, 2720 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206 (4.5 miles)
Carmichael’s Bookstore, 1295 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40204 (5.0 miles)
Gray’s College Bookstore, 1915 S. 4th Street, Louisville, KY 40208 (7.4 miles)

Borders Bookstore #556
400 S. 4th Street, Louisville, KY 40202
Alternatives:
Storylines by Regalo, 140 N. 4th St., Louisville, KY 40202 (0.0 miles)
Carmichael’s Bookstore, 1295 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40204 (2.5 miles)

Louisiana

Borders Bookstore #829
3338 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70115
Alternatives:
McKeown’s Books and Difficult Music, 4737 Tchoupltoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70015 (0.0 miles)
Octavia Books, 513 Octavia Street, New Orleans, LA 70115
Maple Street Bookshop, 7523/29 Maple Street, New Orleans, LA 70118 (Thanks, Veronica)
Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania Street,
New Orleans, LA 70130 (Thanks, Britton)

Borders Bookstore #280
8131 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, LA 70002-6047
Alternatives:
Tale of Two Sisters Bookstore, 4436 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, LA 70006 (2.5 miles)
Blue Cypress Books, 8126 Oak Street, New Orleans, LA 70118
Maple Street Bookshop, 7523/29 Maple Street, New Orleans, LA 70118 (Thanks, Veronica)

Maryland

Borders Bookstore #174
4420 Mitchellville Road, Bowie, MD 20716
Alternatives:
The Book Nook, 5606 Baltimore Ave., Hyattsville, MD 20781 (12.3 miles)
The Anapolis Bookstore, 68 Maryland Ave, Annapolis, MD 21401 (12.6 miles)
Hard Bean Coffee & Books, 36 Market Space, Annapolis, MD 21401 (12.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #10
11301 Rockville Pike, Kensington, MD 20895
Alternatives:
Kensington Row Bookshop, 3786 Howard Avenue
Kensington, MD 20895 (0.0 miles)
Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008 (5.8 miles)

Borders Bookstore #542
931 Capital Centre Blvd., Largo, MD 20774
Alternatives:
The Book Nook, 5606 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20781 (13.6 miles)
Capitol Hill Books, 657 C St SE, Washington, DC 20003 (14.7 miles)
The Anapolis Bookstore, 68 Maryland Ave, Annapolis, MD 21401 (15.6 miles)

Massachusetts

Borders Bookstore #330
511 Bolyston Street, Boston, MA 02116
Alternatives:
The Children’s Book Shop, 237 Washington St., Brookline, MA 02445 (1.5 miles)
Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 02446 (2.1 miles)
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138
Trident Booksellers, 338 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02115 (Thanks, Blake Stacey)
Raven Used Books, 263 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116 (Thanks, Blake Stacey)
Comicopia, 464 Comm. Ave., Kenmore Square, Boston, MA 02215 (Thanks, Blake Stacey)

Borders Bookstore #251
Wayside Commons, 6 Wayside Road, Space U, Burlington, MA 01803
Alternatives:
Book Ends, 559 Main Street, Winchester, MA 01890 (4.9 miles)
The Book Rack, 13 Medford St., Arlington, MA 02474 (6.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #235
Holyoke Mall, 50 Holyoke Street, Space J312, Holyoke, MA 01041
Alternatives:
The Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College St., South Hadley, MA 01075 (4.6 miles)
Heritage Books, 225 College Highway, Southampton, MA 01073 (6.0 miles)
White Square Books, 86 Cottage Street, Easthampton, MA 01027 (7.7 miles) (Thanks, Bronwen)
Cherry Picked Books, 101 Main Street, Easthampton, MA 01027 (8.3 miles) (Thanks, Bronwen)
Broadside Books, 247 Main Street, Northampton, MA 01060 (12 miles) (Thanks, Bronwen)
Raven Used Books, 4 Old South Street, Northampton, MA 01060 (12 miles) (Thanks, Bronwen)
Booklink, 150 Main Street, Thornes Marketplace, Northampton, MA 01060 (12 miles) (Thanks, Bronwen)
The Montague Bookmill, 440 Greenfield Rd. Montague, MA 01351 (Thanks, Dina Merrer)

Borders Bookstore #209
990 Iyannough Road, Hyannis, MA 02601
Alternatives:
Tim’s Used Books, 386 Main St., Hyannis, MA 02601 (0.0 miles)
Books by the Sea, 846 Main Street, Osterville, MA 02655 (3.6 miles)

Borders Bookstore #59
151 Andover Street, Peabody, MA 01960
Alternatives:
Derby Square Bookstore, 215 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970 (5.6 miles) (Thanks, Jeff Cross)
The Spirit of 76, 107 Pleasant St., Marblehead, MA 01945 (5.8 miles)
The Book Shop of Beverly Farms, 40 West St., Beverly Farms, MA 01915 (7.9 miles)
Used Book Superstore, Endicott Plaza, 139 Endicott St., Danvers, MA 01923 (Thanks, Jeff Cross)
Hand It Back Book Smyth, 240 S Main St., Middleton, MA 01949 (Thanks, Jeff Cross)

Borders Bookstore #803
Wareham Crossing, 2421 Cranberry Highway, Suite 460, Wareham, MA 02571
Alternatives:
Buttonwood Books, Route 3A, Cohasset, MA 02025 (1.9 miles)
Titcomb’s, 432 Route 6A, East Sandwich, MA 02537 (11.5 miles)
Baker Books, 69 State Road (Route 6), Dartmouth, CA 02747 (31.4 miles) (Thanks, @ErinHere)

Michigan

Borders Bookstore #303
3527 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Alternatives:
Aunt Agatha’s, 213 South 4th Ave. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (0.0 miles)
Common Language Bookstore, 317 Braun Court, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (0.0 miles)
Nicola’s Books, 2513 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 (3.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #273
17141 Kercheval Avenue, Grosse Pointe, MI 48230
Alternatives:
Motor City Book Drive, 18135 E. Nine Mile Road, Eastpointe, MI 48021 (5.7 miles)
The Bookmark, 28853 Bunert Rd, Warren, MI 48088 (5.9 miles)
John K. King Used & Rare Books, 901 W. Lafeyette Blvd., Detroit, MI 48226 (7.8 miles) (Thanks, Gavin Craig, for correction.)
Leopold’s Books, 15 E Kirby St., Detroit, MI, 48202 (Thanks, Peter Markus)

Borders Bookstore #71
5601 Mercury Drive, Dearborn, MI 48126
Alternatives:
Magina Books, 2311 Fort Street, Lincoln Park, Michigan 48146 (4.2 miles)
John R. King Used & Rare Books, 901 W. Lafeyette Blvd., Detroit, MI 48226 (6.3 miles)
The Book Beat, 26010 Greenfield, Oak Park, MI 48237 (12.2 miles)
Leopold’s Books, 15 E Kirby St., Detroit, MI, 48202 (Thanks, Peter Markus)
Green Brain Comics, 13210 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126 (Thanks, Dan Merritt)

Borders Bookstore #53
45290 Utica Park Blvd., Uitca, MI 48315
Alternatives:
Motor City Book Drive, 18135 E. Nine Mile Road, Eastpointe, MI 48021 (14.6 miles)
The Book Beat, 26010 Greenfield, Oak Park, MI 48237 (16.7 miles)
Leopold’s Books, 15 E Kirby St., Detroit, MI, 48202 (Thanks, Peter Markus)

Minnesota

Borders Bookstore #569
12059 Elm Creek Blvd., Maple Grove, MN 55369
Alternatives:
Dreamhaven Books, 2301 East 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55406 (4.4 miles)
Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55408 (4.8 miles)
BookSmart, 2914 Hennepin Ave. South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408 (4.9 miles)

Borders Bookstore #31
1501 Plymouth Road, Minnetonka, MN 55305
Alternatives:
The Bookcase, 607 Lake St E, Wayzata, Minnesota 55391 (3.4 miles)
Excelsior Bay Books, 36 Water Street, Excelsior, MN 55331 (5.9 miles)

Borders Bookstore #189
800 W. 78th Street, Richfield, MN 55423
Alternatives:
True Colors Bookstore, 4755 Chicago Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55407 (2.8 miles)
Wild Rumpus, 2720 West 43rd Street, Minneapolis, MN 55410 (3.6 miles)
Dreamhaven Books, 2301 East 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55406 (4.4 miles)
Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55408 (4.8 miles)

Borders Bookstore #267
1390 W. University Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104
Alternatives:
Micawber’s, 2238 Carter Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108 (1.5 miles)
Red Balloon Books, 891 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (2.8 miles)
Mayday Books, 301 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454 (3.0 miles)

Missouri

Borders Bookstore #213
15355-A Machester Road, Ballwin, MO 63011
Alternatives:
The Book House, 9719 Manchester Road, Saint Louis, MO 63119 (14.6 miles)
The Book Shelf 8452 Watson Rd
St. Louis, MO 63119 (15.5 miles)
Left Bank, 399 N. Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63108 (Thanks, Julia Porter)
Subterranean Books, 6275 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63130 (Thanks, Julia Porter)
Pudd’nhead Books, 37 South Old Orchard Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119 (Thanks, Julia Porter)

Borders Bookstore #329
2040 Chesterfield Mall, Chesterfield, MO 63017
Alternatives:
Main Street Books, 307 South Main Street, Saint Charles, MO 63301 (10.4 miles)
The Book House, 9719 Manchester Road, Saint Louis, MO 63119 (13.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #565
8628 North Boardwalk Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64154
Alternatives:
The Book Barn, 410 Delaware Street, Leavenworth, Kansas 66048 (15.1 miles)
Prospero’s Books, 1800 West 39th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111 (15.3 miles)

Borders Bookstore #658
5201 North Belt Highway, Suite 127, St. Joseph, MO 64506
Alternatives:
The Book Barn, 410 Delaware Street, Leavenworth, Kansas 66048 (30.9 miles)
Prospero’s Books, 1800 West 39th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111 (50.0 miles)

Borders Bookstore #492
1320 Mid Rivers Mall, St. Peters, MO 63376
Alternatives:
Main Street Books, 307 South Main Street, Saint Charles, MO 63301 (8.0 miles)
The Book House, 9719 Manchester Road, Saint Louis, MO 63119 (17.4 miles)

Borders Bookstore #529
3300 S. Glenstone Avenue, Springfield, MO 65804
Alternatives:
Missouri State Bookstore, 717 S Florence Ave
Springfield, MO 65807 (0.0 miles)
Book Castle, 2252 South Campbell, Springfield, MO 65807 (2.3 miles)

Montana

Borders Bookstore #548
2855 North 19th Avenue, Suite C, Bozeman, MT 59718
Alternatives:
Country Bookshelf, 28 West Main Street, Bozeman, MT 59715 (5.6 miles)
Grannie Irene’s Attic, 15 E. Main Street, Belgrade, Montana 59714 (14.0 miles)

Nevada

Borders Bookstore #81
2323 S. Decatur Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89102
Alternatives:
Greyhound’s Books, 539 W Oakey Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89102 (0.0 miles)
Dead Poet, 937 S Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89145 (3.5 miles)
Bestseller Books, 4260 W Craig Rd #140, Las Vegas, Nevada 89032 (6.9 miles)

New Hampshire

Borders Bookstore #255
281 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, NH 03060
Alternatives:
The Book Cellar, 34 Northwest Boulevard, Unit #10, Nashua, New Hampshire 03063 (5.4 miles)
The Toadstool Bookshop, Lorden Plaza Route 101-A, Milford, New Hampshire 03055 (12.5 miles)

New Jersey

Borders Bookstore #499
1642 Schlosser Street, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Alternatives:
Womrath’s, 12 Washington Street, Tenafly, NJ 07670 (5.3 miles)
Book Ends, 232 East Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450-3816 (13.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #302
1515 Route 22 West, Suite 2, Watchung, NJ 07069
Alternatives:
The Town Book Store, 270 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ 07090 (4.6 miles)
Sages Pages, 300 Main Street, Madison, NJ 07940 (7.6 miles)
The Bookworm, 99 Claremont Road, Bernardsville, NJ 07924 (9.0 miles)

Borders Bookstore #34
Garden State Plaza, Suite 2200, Paramus, NJ 07652
Alternatives:
Book Ends, 232 East Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450-3816 (3.4 miles)
Well Read, 425 Lafayette Ave, Hawthorne, NJ 07506 (4.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #241
Raceway Mall, 3710 Route 9, Ste. 2318, Freehold, NJ 07728
Alternatives:
Booktowne, 171 Main Street, Manasquan, NJ 08736 (10.3 miles)
Act 2 Books, 90 Wilson Ave, Englishtown, NJ 07726 (10.7 miles)

New Mexico

Borders Bookstore #684
10420 Coors Bypass NW, Suite B, Albuquerque, NM 87114
Alternatives:
Bookworks, 4022 Rio Grande Boulevard Northwest, Albuquerque, NM 87107 (2.9 miles)
Title Wave Books, 1408 Menaul Blvd. NM, Albuquerque, NM 87112 (9.5 miles)
Alamosa Books, 8810 Holly Ave. NE Ste. D, Albuquerque, NM 87122 (10.4 miles) (Thanks, Richard Vargas)

Borders Bookstore #278
500 Montezuma, Suite 108, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Alternatives:
Collected Works, 202 Galisteo St, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (0.0 miles)
Otowi Station, 1350 Central Ave, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544 (27.0 miles)

New York

Borders Bookstore #179
68 Veterans Memorial Highway, Commack, NY 11725
Alternatives:
Book Revue, 313 New York Ave., Huntington, NY 11743 (8.0 miles)
Best Bargain Books, 217 Centereach Mall, Centereach, NY 11720 (10.4 miles) (Closed; see alt. locations below; thanks, John Walsh)
Best Bargain Books, 65 Robinson Ave., Patchogue, NY 11772 (Thanks, John Walsh)
Best Bargain Books, 14 East Main Street, Port Jefferson, NY 11777 (Thanks, John Walsh)

Borders Bookstore #507
40 Catherwood Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
Alternatives:
Colophon Books, 205 N Aurora St., Ithaca, NY 14850 (0.2 miles) (Thanks, @eruditegore)
Riverow Bookshop, 187 Front St., Owego, NY 13827 (32.0 miles)
Creekside Books, 35 Fennell St., Skaneateles, NY 13152 (37.4 miles)

Borders Bookstore #566
100 Broadway, New York, NY 10005
Alternatives:
The Mysterious Bookshop, 58 Warren St., New York, NY 10007 (0.7 miles)
McNally Jackson, 52 Prince St., New York, NY 10012 (1.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #228
576 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Alternatives:
Revolution Books, 146 West 26th St., New York, NY 10001 (0.7 miles)
Idlewild Books, 12 West 19th St., New York, NY 10011 (0.8 miles)
Books of Wonder, 18 West 18th St., New York, NY 10011 (0.9 miles)
Strand Books, 828 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 (1.3 miles)

Borders Bookstore #200
461 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022
Alternatives:
Center for Fiction Books, 17 East 47th St., New York, NY 10017 (0.7 miles)
Rizzoli Books, 31 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019 (1.0 miles)

Borders Bookstore #389
395 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Alternatives:
East Line Books, 1714 Route 9, Clinton Park, NY 12065 (8.4 miles)
Old Saratoga Books, 94 Broad Street, Schuylerville, New York 12871 (11.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #475
680 White Plains Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583
Alternatives:
Galapagos Books, 22 Main St # A, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York 10706 (2.1 miles)
Womrath Bookshop, 76 Pondfield Road, Bronxville, New York 10708 (2.9 miles)
Voracious Reader, 1997 Palmer Ave, Larchmont, NY 10538 (Thanks, Kristi Cook)
Anderson’s Book Shop, 96 Chatsworth Ave #A, Larchmont, NY 10538 (Thanks, Emily)

Borders Bookstore #595
1820 South Road, Suite 110, Wappinger Falls, NY 12590
Alternatives:
Three Arts Bookstore, 3 Collegeview Avenue, Poughkeepsie, New York 12603 (7.4 miles)
Book Cove, 22 Charles Colman Boulevard, Pawling, New York 12564 (15.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #52
1260 Old County Road, Westbury, NY 11590
Alternatives:
Dolphin Bookshop, 299 Main Street, Port Washington, NY 11050 (8.4 miles)
Forest Value Books, 170 Forest Ave., Glen Cove, NY 11542 (8.6 miles)

North Carolina

Borders Bookstore #333
1541 Beaver Creek Commons Dr., Ste. 220, Apex, NC 27502
Alternatives:
McIntyre’s, 2000 Fearrington Village
Pittsboro, NC 27312 (7.8 miles)
Internationalist Books, 405 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 (13.8 miles)

Borders Bookstore #132
1751 Walnut Street, Cary, NC 27511
Alternatives:
Reader’s Corner, 3201 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 (6.5 miles)
Quail Ridge Books, 3522 Wade Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27607 (6.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #490
1807 Fordham Blvd., Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Alternatives:
Flyleaf Books, 752 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (0.0 miles)
The Regulator Bookshop, 720 9th Street, Durham, NC 27705 (6.0 miles)
The Gothic Bookshop, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708 (6.1 miles)
The Bull’s Head Bookshop, 207 South Road, CB#1530, Daniels Bldg, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 (Thanks, Erica Eisdorfer)

Borders Bookstore #134
3605 High Point Road, Greensboro, NC 27407
Alternatives:
Edward McKay Books, 1607 Battleground Ave., Greensboro, NC 27408 (0.6 miles)
Lucky City Book and Wine Bar, 125 S. Scales St., Reidsville, NC 27320 (20.9 miles)

Borders Bookstore #365
404-101 East Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27609
Alternatives:
Edward McKay Books, 3514 Capital Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27604 (2.9 miles)
Quail Ridge Books, 3522 Wade Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27607 (4.1 miles)

Ohio

Borders Bookstore #347
9459 Colerain Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45251
Alternatives:
The Bookshelf, 7754 Camargo Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45243 (13.9 miles)
Passage Books, 126 Front St, New Richmond, Ohio 45157 (27.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #172
6670 Sawmill Road, Columbus, OH 43235
Alternatives:
Cover to Cover Children’s Books, 3560 N High St., Columbus, Ohio 43214 (5.6 miles)
Karen Wickliff Books, 3527 N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43214 (5.6 miles)
Foul Play Mystery Books, 27 East College Avenue, Westerville, Ohio 43081 (7.7 miles)
Acorn Bookshop, 1464 West Fifth Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43212 (8.0 miles)
The Book Loft, 631 South Third Steet, Columbus, OH 43206 (16.1 miles) (Thanks, Dina Merrer)

Borders Bookstore #2:
4545 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43220
Alternatives:
Village Bookshop, 2424 W. Dublin Granville Road, Columbus, OH 43235 (1.8 miles)
Cover to Cover Books for Young Readers, 3560 N. High Street, Columbus, OH 43214 (2.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #116
2700 Miamisburg Centerville Road, Suite 870, Dayton, OH 45459
Alternatives:
Bonnett’s, 502 E. 5th St., Dayton, Ohio 45402 (7.7 miles)
Blue Jacket Books, 60 South Detroit Street, Xenia, Ohio 45385 (12.8 miles)

Borders Bookstore #588
5105 Deerfield Blvd., Mason, OH 45040
Alternatives:
The Bookshelf, 7754 Camargo Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45243 (11.8 miles)
Books ‘N” More, 28 West Main Street, Wilmington, Ohio 45177 (26.0 miles)

Borders Bookstore #601
4927 Grande Shops Ave., Medina, OH 44256
Alternatives:
The Bookseller Inc., 39 Westgate Circle, Akron, OH 44313 (14.4 miles)
Baldwin-Wallace College Bookstore, Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, Ohio 44017 (16.0 miles)
Visible Voice Books, 1023 Kenilworth, Cleveland, Ohio 44113 (Thanks, Toni Thayer)
Fireside Book Shop, 29 North Franklin Street, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022 (Thanks, Toni Thayer)
Learned Owl Book Shop, 204 North Main Street, Hudson, OH 44236 (Thanks, Toni Thayer)

Borders Bookstore #358
9565 Mentor Avenue, Mentor, OH 44060
Alternatives:
Half Price Books, 9383 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060 (0.0 miles)
Joseph-Beth, 24519 Cedar Road, Lyndhurst, OH 44124 (15.6 miles)
Mac’s Backs, 1820 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 (17.8 miles)
Appletree Books, 12419 Cedar Rd., Cleveland, OH 44106 (22.7 miles) (Thanks, Darby)
Loganberry Books, 13015 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights, OH 44120 (25.6 miles) (Thanks, @SplatsReads)
Visible Voice Books, 1023 Kenilworth, Cleveland, Ohio 44113 (Thanks, Toni Thayer)
Fireside Book Shop, 29 North Franklin Street, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022 (Thanks, Toni Thayer)
Learned Owl Book Shop, 204 North Main Street, Hudson, OH 44236 (Thanks, Toni Thayer)
Village Bookstore, 8140 Main Street, Garrettsville, OH 44231 (35 miles) (Thanks, Ellen Eckhouse)

Oklahoma

Borders Bookstore #151
3209 Northwest Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Alternatives:
Full Circle Books, 1900 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK 73118 (0.2 miles)

Borders Bookstore #264
8015 S. Yale, Tulsa, OK 74136
Alternatives:
Steve’s Books, 2612 S Harvard Ave., Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114 (4.3 miles)
Books & Co., 2021 S Lewis Ave., Tulsa, OK 74104 (4.4 miles)

Pennsylvania

Borders Bookstore #455
3515 Gettysburg Road, Camp Hill, PA 17011
Alternatives:
Midtown Scholar, 1302 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110 (2.8 miles)
York Emporium, 343 West Market Street, York, Pennsylvania 17401 (21.8 miles) (Thanks Chrissy for website link)

Borders Bookstore #377
2088A Interchange Road, Erie, PA 16509
Alternatives:
Erie Books Galore, 5546 Peach Street, Erie, PA 16509-2604 (Thanks, Andrew)
Erie Bookstore, 37 East 13th Street, Erie, PA 16503 (9.1 miles)
The Last Wordsmith Shoppe, 17 East Main Street, North East, PA 16421 (11.4 miles)

Borders Bookstore #487
650 Mall Blvd., King of Prussia, PA 19406
Alternatives:
The Bookworm, 742 Main St., Phoenixville, PA 19460 (4.9 miles)
Wolfgang Books, 237 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460 (5.4 miles) (Sadly, about to close: thanks, @Bookavore and Laura)
Wellington Square Bookshop, 549 Wellington Square, Exton, PA 19341 (Thanks Emma)
Chester County Book & Music Company, 975 Paoli Pike, West Chester, PA 19380 (Thanks Martha Bullen)

Borders Bookstore #204
2343 E. Lincoln Highway, Langhorne, PA 19047
Alternatives:
Newtown Books, 2829 South Eagle Road, Newtown, PA 18940 (4.1 miles)
Farley’s, 44 South Main Street, New Hope, PA 18938 (12.9 miles)

Borders Bookstore #143
200 Mall Blvd., Monroeville, PA 15146
Alternatives:
Mystery Lovers Bookshop, 514 Allegheny River Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15139 (7.0 miles)
Aspinwall, 20 Brilliant Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15215 (8.8 miles) (Thanks, @Twiittsburgh)
Caliban Books, 410 South Craig Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (14.9 miles) (Thanks, Holly Mohr)
Townsend Booksellers, 4612 Henry St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (14.9 miles) (Thanks, Holly Mohr)
City Books, 1111 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (16.8 miles) (Thanks, Holly Mohr)
Awesome Books, 5111 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15224 (Thanks, Andrea)

Borders Bookstore #9
1775 North Highland Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15241
Alternatives:
Bradley’s Book Cellar, 1948 Greentree Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15220 (6.6 miles)
Eljay’s Used Books, 1309 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (10.4 miles)
Joseph-Beth, 2705 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (10.8 miles) (Thanks, @Twittsburgh)

Borders Bookstore #457
5986 Penn Circles South, Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Alternatives:
Aspinwall, 20 Brilliant Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15215 (1.6 miles)
Mystery Lovers Bookshop, 514 Allegheny River Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15139 (2.6 miles)

Borders Bookstore #175
1075 Woodland Road, Reading, PA 19610
Alternatives:
Saucony Books, 41 West Main Street, Kutztown, PA 19530 (15.4 miles)
Aaron’s Books, 43 South Broad Street, Lititz, PA 17543 (22.3 miles)

Borders Bookstore #345
1937 Whitehall Mall, Whitehall, PA 18052
Alternatives:
Blind Willow Book Shop, 412 Chestnut St., Emmaus, PA 18049 (4.3 miles)
Lion Around Books, 302 West Broad Street, Quakertown, PA 18951 (14.0 miles)
Moravian Bookshop, 428 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018 (Thanks, Mary)

Tennessee

Borders Bookstore #536
545 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 190, Franklin, TN 37067
Alternatives:
Landmark Books, 114 E Main St., Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (2.9 miles)
Mysteries & More, Lenox Village, Nashville, TN 37211 (6.9 miles)
Davis-Kidd, 2121 Green Hills Village Drive, Nashville, TN 37215 (8.3 miles) (Thanks to all for pointing out this closing.)
Rhino Books, 4006 Granny White Pike 37204, Nashville, TN 37209 (11.4 miles) (Thanks, James Harrington)
Bookman/Bookwoman, 1713 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212 (15.7 miles) (Thanks, James Harrington)
Elder’s Books, 2115 Elliston Pl, Nashville, TN 37203 (17.4 miles) (Thanks, James Harrington)
McKay Used Books, 5708 Charlotte Pike, Nashville, TN 37209-3215 (Thanks, Derek)

Texas

Borders Bookstore #367
4477 S. Lamar, Austin, TX 78745
Alternatives:
Monkeywrench Books, 110 E. North Loop, Austin, Texas 78751 (0.8 miles)
Book Woman, 5501 North Lamar Blvd., Austin, Texas 78751 (1.3 miles)
Brave New Books, 1904 Guadalupe Street
Austin, Texas 78705 (2.7 miles)
Bookpeople, 603 N. Lamar, Austin TX 78703 (Thanks, Jason)
12th Street Books, 827 West 12th Street, Austin, TX 78701 (Thanks, frogprof)

Borders Bookstore #103
3309 Espernza Crossing, Austin, TX 78758
Alternatives:
Book Woman, 5501 North Lamar Blvd., Austin, Texas 78751 (6.5 miles)
The Book Spot, 1205 Round Rock Ave #119, Round Rock, TX 78681 (6.6 miles)
Monkeywrench Books, 110 E. North Loop, Austin, Texas 78751 (6.9 miles)

Borders Bookstore #247
9500 South IH 35 Service Road, Southpark Meadows, Suite F, Austin, TX 78748
Alternatives:
BookPeople, 603 North Lamar, Austin, TX 78703 (6.4 miles)
Domy Books, 913 E Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78702 (7.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #584
1131 N. Burleson Blvd., Burleson, TX 76028
Alternatives:
The Book Rack, 2304 W Park Row Dr # 15, Arlington, TX 76013 (11.6 miles)
Half Price Books, 5417 S. Hulen St., Fort Worth, TX 76132 (13.3 miles)
Half Price Books, 12616 S. Freeway, Burleson, TX 76028 (Thanks, Kirk)

Borders Bookstore #462
5615 Colleyville Blvd., Suite 100, Colleyvile, TX 76034
Alternatives:
The Book Carriage, 304 N. Oak St., Roanoke, TX 76262 (8.2 miles)
The Book Rack, 2304 W Park Row Dr # 15, Arlington, TX 76013 (11.8 miles)

Borders Bookstore #32
10720 Preston Road, Suite 1018, Dallas, TX 75230
Alternatives:
The Story Book House, 2925 Fairmount Drive, Dallas, TX 75201 (7.9 miles)
Weekend Reader, 4000 Pioneer Road
Balch Springs, TX 75180 (11.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #612
3600 McKinney Avenue, Dallas, TX 75204
Alternatives:
The Story Book House, 2925 Fairmount Drive, Dallas, TX 75201 (1.1 miles)
Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista, Dallas, TX 75214 (1.8 miles)
Weekend Reader, 4000 Pioneer Road
Balch Springs, TX 75180 (12.3 miles)

Borders Bookstore #146
2403 S. Stemmons, Suite 100, Lewisville, TX 75067
Alternatives:
Bookworm, 3245 Main Street, Frisco, Texas 75034 (11.2 miles)
Adventure Bookshop, 7080 Main Street, Frisco, Texas 75034 (12.9 miles)
The Book Carriage, 304 N. Oak St., Roanoke, TX 76262 (13.1 miles)

Borders Bookstore #541
2709 N. Mesquite Drive, Mesquite, TX 75150
Alternatives:
Paperbacks Plus, 108 E. Davis Street;
Mesquite, TX 75149 (5.1 miles)
Weekend Reader, 4000 Pioneer Road
Balch Springs, TX 75180 (8.6 miles)

Borders Bookstore #90
1601 Preston Road, Suite J, Plano, TX 75093-5101
Alternatives:
Bookworm, 3245 Main Street, Frisco, Texas 75034 (6.8 miles)
Adventure Bookshop, 7080 Main Street, Frisco, Texas 75034 (6.8 miles)

Utah

Borders Bookstore #553
1050 North Main Street, Logan, UT 84321
Alternatives:
The Book Table, 29 South Main Street Logan, UT 84321 (0.2 miles) (Thanks, Sarah)
The Book Shelf 3.0, 2671 Washington Blvd., Ogden, UT 84401 (30.7 miles)
The New Wisebird Bokery, 4850 Harrison Blvd., Ogden, UT 84403 (33.3 miles)
The REaD Cat Bookstore, 189 S. State St., Clearfield, UT 84015 (38.5 miles)

Borders Bookstore #274
132 E. Winchester, Murray, UT 84107
Alternatives:
King’s English, 1511 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84105 (6.6 miles)
Sam Weller’s Books, 254 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 (8.5 miles)

Virginia

Borders Bookstore #92
9750 W. Broad Street, Glen Allen, VA 23060
Alternatives:
Book People, 536 Granite Ave., Richmond, VA 23226 (6.0 miles)
Tumbleweeds Used Bookstore, 2715 Buford Road, Richmond, VA 23235 (8.8 miles)
Carytown Books, 4021 MacArthur Avenue, Richmond, VA 23227 (Thanks, Pamela K. Kinney)
Twice Told Tales, 6658 Main Street, Gloucester Court House, VA 23061 (Thanks, Pamela K. Kinney)

Borders Bookstore #682
12300 Jefferson Ave., Suite 100, Newport News, VA 23602
Alternatives:
The Way We Were, 32 East Mellen Street, Hampton, VA 23663 (10.9 miles) (Thanks, @muttinmall)
Jeannie’s Used Books, 3202 High Street, Portsmouth, VA 23707 (19.4 miles)
Prince Books, 109 East Main Street, Norfolk, VA 23510 (19.7 miles)

Borders Bookstore #636
1240 Stafford Market Place, Stafford, VA 22556
Alternatives:
Griffin Bookshop and Coffee Bar, 106 Hanover Street, Fredericksbug, VA 22401 (12.2 miles)
Riverby Books, 805 Caroline St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401 (12.2 miles)

Borders Bookstore #29
8027 Leesburg Pike, Suite 100, Vienna, VA 22182
Alternatives:
One More Page, 2200 N. Westmoreland St., Arlington, VA 22213 (7.1 miles)
Booktopia, 4701 Sangamore Road, Betheseda, MD 20816 (8.6 miles)
Already Read Used Books, 2501 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 (11.8 miles) (Thanks, Diane & Ken)
Book Bank Used Books, 1510 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 (12 miles) (Thanks, Diane & Ken)
Hurray for Books!, 1555 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 (12 miles) (Thanks, Diane & Ken)

Borders Bookstore #685
2420 S. Pleasant Valley Road, Winchester, VA 22601
Alternatives:
Winchester Book Gallery, 185 N. Loudoun St., Winchester, VA (0.0 miles)
Blue Plate Books, 2261 Valley Ave., Winchester, VA (0.0 miles)

Washington

Borders Bookstore #234
4601 Point Fosdick Dr. NW, Gig Habor, WA 98335
Alternatives:
Mostly Books, 3126 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor, Washington 98335 (0.0 miles)
King’s Books, 218 St Helens Ave Tacoma, WA 98402 (12.1 miles) (Thanks Grace Baldwin)
A Novel Bookstore, 305 1st St., S. #1, Yelm, WA 98597
A Good Book Cafe, 1014 Main Street, Sumner, WA 98390
(Thanks to Marcus for pointing out the wrong ZIP code)

Borders Bookstore #619
3000 184th Street SW, Suite 910, Lynnwood, WA 98037
Alternatives:
University Book Store, 15311 Main Street, Mill Creek, WA 98012 (4.0 miles)
Edmonds Bookshop, 111 5th Avenue South, Edmonds, WA 98020 (4.1 miles)
Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155 (6.5 miles) (Thanks, Emily)

Wisconsin

Borders Bookstore #336
8705 N. Port Washington, Fox Point, WI 53217
Alternatives:
Next Chapter Bookshop, 10976 North Port Washington Road, Mequon, WI 53092 (3.5 miles)
Boswell Book Company, 2559 N Downer Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211 (7.4 miles)
Woodland Pattern Book Center, 720 E Locust St, Milwaukee, WI 53212 (8.56 miles) (Thanks, Cathy Cunningham)

Borders Bookstore #467
5250 S. 76th Street, Greendale, WI 53129
Alternatives:
Broad Vocabulary, 2241 South Kinnickinnic Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53207 (6.6 miles)
The Little Read Book, 7603 West State St., Wauwatosa, WI 53123 (7.8 miles)

Borders Bookstore #3
3750 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53705
Alternatives:
Booked for Murder, 2701 University Ave., Madison, WI 53705 (0.0 miles)
University Book Store, 711 State Street, Madison, WI 53703 (1.9 miles)
Avol’s Books, 315 West Gorham Street, Madison, WI 53703 (2.2 miles)
A Room of One’s Own, 307 W. Johnson St., Madison, WI 53703 (Thanks, Colette Cabralle)

Borders Bookstore #543
101 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53203
Alternatives:
Mystery One Bookshop, 2109 N. Prospect Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53202 (2.0 miles)
Broad Vocabulary, 2241 South Kinnickinnic Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53207 (2.4 miles)
Woodland Pattern Book Center, 720 E Locust St, Milwaukee, WI 53212 (2.8 miles) (Thanks, Cathy Cunningham)

(Image: Brian Rudnick)

The Bat Segundo Show: Eduardo Porter

Eduardo Porter appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #381. He is most recently the author of The Price of Everything.

Condition of Mr. Segundo: Shopping for a new religion.

Author: Eduardo Porter

Subjects Discussed: Faith and the Pascalian wager, whether or not Americans perceive faith in fair prices, the idea of a price embodying the making of a thing, Marx and labor, how our understanding of prices is a function of transaction, worker exploitation, Dan Ariely and behavioral economics, “buying a sense of our own goodness,” tipping in Japan, Porter being needlessly concerned with the price of a Los Angeles condo he sold years earlier, new economic frontiers without speculative bubbles, Robert C. Wright and predicting bubbles, Keynesian beauty contests, orange juice and the weather, derivatives and probability, the inability to separate legitimate bubbles with sham bubbles, subprimes and low interest rates, John Rawls and society maximizing the well-being of the least fortunate, the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, ephemeral jobs and speculative bubbles, unfair income redistribution and prices, diversity and labor, William Julius Wilson, Sir Nicholas Stern’s idea of the wealth of the individual remaining steady throughout the years vs. human life as priceless, the 9/11 Commission and Kenneth Feinberg’s compensation discrepancy, anti-egalitarianism, competing subjective viewpoints about the price of a life, economic consequences that emerge from changing a speed limit, the value of a person toiling in a maquiladora vs. the value of Clive Owen, connections between pricing and elitism, time and the value of human life, France’s price on Haiti, and the colonialist implications of price.

EXCERPT FROM SHOW:

Porter: In the mid-1990s, a study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change tried to come up with an early estimate of the economic impact of global warming. And to do this, it used some of these estimates of the value of life. And it decided that the value of life in poor countries was $150,000 and in rich countries $1.5 million. Now you can imagine that didn’t go down very well at an international meeting with rich and poor countries. I mean, this was a rebellion. “What do you mean?” So if rising seas are going to wipe out Bangladesh, it’s cheap. But if something is going to happen in Switzerland, then we really have to worry. So ultimately, at the end of the day, they came to a political compromise. And they redid this, valuing everybody at $1 million.

Correspondent: But on the other hand, for the sake of argument, if you have some central authority making such an insensitive statement — that a person born in one country is worth less than someone born in an industrialized nation — wouldn’t that open up the fact that we’re all living within unseen disparities? That the value of someone toiling right now in a maquiladora or an export processing zone is, we all know, worth less than the life of President Obama. Or the life of actor Clive Owen, who is probably worth more than either of us ever will be.

Porter: Well, yes. This is a manifestation of the inequities in life. That it’s just a replication after death of a very unequal distribution of opportunities and rewards. That’s true.

Correspondent: Well then. If pricing essentially confirms that, it’s almost as if pricing confirms an Ortega y Gasset-like notion of elitism. That really what we’re denying in denying these crude and cold and insensitive prices is denying the inherent elitist nature of the capitalist system that we live by in this purported democracy that you, in the book, actually uphold.

Porter: I would say that that’s essentially correct. I mean, capitalism is not an equal society. And I don’t think it can work as an equal society. Disparities are what steer resources to be allocated into one place or another. Pay differentials lead people to take one choice rather than another. To move into one job or another. To get one type of education or another. So the idea that everybody must be paid equal is, I don’t think, functional. It does not function within a capitalistic society. If you’re asking for my opinion on the ultimate — I don’t want to use the word “justice.” If you’re asking for my opinion on whether this is an ideal way to live, I would tell you no. But it’s because of the depth of the disparity. Not because of its existence. I will agree that disparities will exist. I have a problem with the size of them.

Correspondent: You mention Bangladesh earlier. And this is in relation to climate change. William Nordhaus’s idea that in estimating future damages, we need to use a rate that reflects the productivity of long-term investments. Then of course, you’ve got Sir Nicholas Stern’s idea: “The welfare of a person hundreds of years from now is worth the same as as the welfare of someone alive today.” And of course, not everybody can agree on that either. Now we’re adding time to this. Even more problems. If you were to look at the history of Haiti, you see France in 1825 — they don’t wish to recognize Haiti’s sovereignty unless Haiti paid them 150 million gold francs. Haiti, of course, couldn’t pay back the money until 1947. And they had to take up long-term interest loans.

Porter: That’s incredible.

Correspondent: This is the ultimate in a big joke about price. Haiti wanted to be recognized as a nation and they have to pay this considerable amount of money. So this leads me to wonder if price — I seem to think, particularly after this conversation — is a huge mess that creates ever more problems about other viewpoints, other peoples, and simply existing. The more we think about the way money is attached to an individual person, the more we realize that certain systematic norms cause the person to be trivial. I think that’s rather sad.

Porter: The thing is that here we’re moving between senses of price that are really kind of unrelated. The purchase of Haiti’s independence, I think, has very little to do with capitalism. It has more to do with colonialism.

Correspondent: Capitalism could be argued as a strand.

Porter: But this deal could have been made outside of a capitalistic society. This deal is not a function of capitalism. It is a function of the fact that one country controlled another and would not relinquish it unless getting something in return. And in fact, this has been a characteristic of colonialism way back into pre-capitalistic times. I wonder whether you’re not attributing too much significance to the idea of price as an ultimate driver of things that functions throughout history. And always in the same way. It seems to me that when you’re talking about the price of Haiti or the price of gas or the price of milk, the processes that you’re describing, with which you arrive at this ultimate variable of price, are totally different. And the transactions that are involved are totally different. And so yes, they’re all prices of course. But I’m not sure that they’re comparable. They seem a little bit like apples to oranges.

Correspondent: Even though price has a serious consequence upon a human life in some capacity, you’re saying that it’s best to look at price in terms of who sets the price and the consequence? I think I’m looking at it consequentially and you’re looking at it from a causist standpoint.

Porter: Well, yeah. But consequentially. Let’s say clothes have enormous consequences. Lack of clothes have enormous consequences. The fact that having or not having the appropriate clothes for the appropriate weather is consequential. I’m not sure that that allows me to go any further in trying to tell me anything about the dynamic underlying clothes or the goodness of clothes. They are consequential. Sure.

The Bat Segundo Show #381: Eduardo Porter (Download MP3)

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Review: We Are What We Are (2010)

Last March, the intrepid crew behind The Barnes & Noble Review asked me to watch an extraordinary number of cannibal movies within a very short period of time. This exercise resulted in a rather pleasant throbbing in the head, a need for lengthy perambulation after all this sensory overload, a momentary recalibration of my carnivorous intake to ensure that I could sustain my passion for carne asada after seeing so many (virtual) people eaten, and this essay, in which I revealed that a cinematic genre of apparent last resort had more going for it than some of the humorless film snobs had suggested. One of the genre’s key touchstones, Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust (1980), dared to balance bona-fide animal slaughter with the juicy theater of people having each other for dinner. And many of Deodato’s followers carried on in this bountiful spirit of authenticity, with film crews and fake books offering heft to all the baleful gustation. While mainstream cinema continues to remain comfortable with the removed feel of zombies, a decidedly more class-conscious approach to cannibalism in which one has to be bitten (a lack of personal responsibility? just one of the common rabble?) to give into these baser impulses, one wonders if we will see more knowing acts of cannibalism in multiplexes. Despite the fact that human beings are very often kind and noble, don’t we all have the capacity to be savage and vicious? And does not cannibalism offer us the most ideal narrative framework to oscillate between these two extremes? Is this not fun for the whole family?

Since money remains one of the dominant reasons that movies are made, the recent success of two Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies (a reboot that netted a $150 million worldwide gross) suggests this to be likely. But forget these crass men with the moneybags. Jorge Michel Grau’s We Are What We Are offers an unexpected alternative route for the cannibal movie’s future.

What’s quite interesting about this moody offering is that we see very few acts of chopping and cannibalism on screen. Some onyx bile regurgitated in the early minutes upon a shopping pavilion’s tile (and, with mordant wit, mopped up within minutes after the dead man is dragged away). A good deal of punching. (If you live among a family of cannibals and your dad has been dragging in a fresh body for a nightly ritual and you’re wondering when dad will kick the bucket so that you can be the paterfamilias, then it makes perfect sense that you would develop a few thuggish attempts at rabbit punches, testing them out on obnoxious guys who are trying to reclaim their broken watches.) Clumsy efforts to grab vagrant kids from beneath overpasses.

But cannibalism? Not until the very end.

I have to confess that I experienced some impatience in the film’s first hour, waiting eagerly for the dependable imagery of molars grinding human flesh and strings of meat being ripped from a flailing torso. The chops of the axe. The screams. All this reassures me! But I must greatly commend Grau for making me wait. It takes some serious guts to serve up a cannibal film prioritizing atmosphere over grindhouse. Grau is very good about balancing the frame, often pushing his subjects to the hard left or right (or occupying certain sectors in groups: see the above still) and leaving a dismaying blankness reflecting their empty future (and perhaps their empty bellies!). His interiors are often saturated with sickly shades of green, with a goopy Gordon Willis-like approach giving the movie a surprisingly dignified mien amidst all the dinginess.

The family business, as I intimated earlier, is the dying art of watchmaking. Dad, dead within the first few minutes, has been earning the bread by heading to a street vendor market and chomping on whores during his lunch hour. So there’s something of an Old World masculine vibe here. The film is often nebulous about how this strange system of providing for the family, of putting food on the table and so forth, works out. It’s implied that Dad has been providing fresh bodies, but are these bodies Dad’s whores? Mom seems to know about Dad’s whoring around, but she is strangely furious at her two boys for picking up the slack. The exact nature of the “ritual” is never entirely spelled out in the first hour. But when it is revealed, it’s somewhat of a predictable letdown.

Indeed, one frustrating aspect of Grau’s film is its behavioral incoherence. Grau has plenty of enticing visuals in his cinematic entrepot: a brother and a sister looking out the window, their entire forms beneath the drapes, as if protecting themselves from the unseen barbaric activities unfolding within; the ominous ticking of the clocks; the false sanctuary of a bathroom. But when it comes to synthesizing these visuals into character motivation, it often doesn’t pay off. Take, for example, a fifth-rate cop investigating a rash of disappearances and having some clue that will bring him to the family. This character is initially interesting in his drive for cash and his need to be famous, serving as a savage parallel in the “real” world to the “unreal” rituals in the family home. But when he is tempted too easily by an underage prostitute, these early impulses are flattened into your typical corrupt cop archetype. Or consider the sexual confusion of one of the sons when he ventures into a gay nightclub, initially distressed by some pickup grabbing him around the neck and making out with him. The son then attempts to corral his sexual ambiguity with his eating ambiguity, and his additional ambiguity over whether or not he has what it takes to take over as head of the family. Another fascinating parallel, right? Again, Grau throws this intrigue away by presenting this behavior, but not wishing to pursue its dimensions.

Of course, when one looks at the film’s title, this may be part of the point. Perhaps the audience is meant to reckon with bad behavior with only superficial context, thus stubbing out judgment before it can bury its barnacles into our being. But if you have the chops to present a subhuman impulse with visual nuance, why stop there? I’m definitely going to keep my eye out for Jorge Michel Grau’s work in the future. But I hope he has the courage to be more than what he thinks he is.

The Bat Segundo Show: Toby Ball

Toby Ball appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #380. He is most recently the author of The Vaults.

Condition of Mr. Segundo: Spilling green ink all over the public records.

Author: Toby Ball

Subjects Discussed: The descriptive connection between sound and voice, Ball’s background in teaching, envisioning a scene before writing it, devising a 1935 parallel universe, alternative forms of photography, prethinking information technology, children who intrude upon the conversation and ask about the microphones, telling an old-fashioned pulp yarn, the Berlin Document Center, the Nora chapters as placeholders within The Vaults, the frantic qualities of pulp literature, characters locked in location, Hard Case Crime, Nicholson Baker’s Room Temperature, detecting another person’s typing from observing the strokes, keylogging, Suge Knight as inspiration, the Anti-Subversive Unit inspired by 9/11 propaganda, designing a three book arc, Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle, marijuana cigarettes, Hearst and the criminalization of marijuana, mentioning alternative countries (Poland, et al.) instead of the key players in World War II, the city as physical space, ideological information, character life that comes from specific limitations in vernacular, turning a preexisting rumor into narrative fodder, working at Congressional Quarterly, Red Henry’s mistress reading Nietzsche, and tight consequential corners.

EXCERPT FROM SHOW:

Correspondent: It is interesting how the voice — somebody’s voice — tends to be imposing. More so than the bigness of Big Henry and the like. It’s very interesting to me that sound seems to be the linchpin. Particularly because the technology in this book is rather interesting. I mean, here we are roughly around 1935. A little parallel universe. And we don’t really have motion pictures. We have some possible version of photography with the replacement system that comes in the Vaults. And that’s why it is very interesting to me why sound is such an important quality. It’s almost as if sound in your world matters more than image to a large degree.

Ball: That’s an interesting idea. And I think a lot of the book is about information. Both the information that is overt and then there’s a certain amount of information that has to be gleaned from other pieces of information. And I think that the idea that people can assert powers in ways other than the physical or through violence or through having political power or whatever sometimes comes through. Certainly with your ability to dominate things vocally. Maybe not even verbally. You don’t have to necessarily have a great way with words. But if you can take up more space around you than the other person to serve as an alpha male thing, I guess.

Correspondent: Well, did you prethink any of the technology in the book? Or for that matter any of the history? We do have allusions to the Great War. We also have the Birthday Party Massacre, which is both a funny and a grisly idea. And it makes me wonder whether you had any masterplan for this alternative history or you were inventing things and filling in the gaps as you went along?

Ball: Well, what I was most interested in, I think, was how do you organize information. And because of that, it had to be before a certain period. Say the 1960s. And moving it back to the ’30s and combining it with these ideas we have about the ’20s and ’30s gangs, and things like that, I think that that was the first step in doing it. But I also wanted to create a complicated and…

[Two children walk up to the table and start staring intently at the microphones.]

Child #1: Where did you get that?

Correspondent: Well, hi.

Ball: Hi.

Correspondent: There’s a…

Ball: The microphones?

Correspondent: Yes, the microphones. You can get these microphones at just about any audio place. We have a child here who’s decided to…(laughs). Hi. What’s your name?

Child #2: (more aggressively) Where’d you get that?

Correspondent: Well, we got these through — I got these through an audio supplier. So.

Ball: Pretty cool.

Correspondent: But anyway, you were saying?

Ball: Well…

Correspondent: We have an audience. (laughs)

Ball: We have an audience of two. So from there, while I kind of wrote and sort of developed some more things I was interested in writing about, I think that’s where things kind of move on. What’s the importance of having accurate information? What’s the value of that? What can you get by taking discreet facts? And simply by organizing them, by insuring their purity, how does that in itself become information? And to try and combine that with — you know, I think there’s a certain fun aspect to the ’20s and ’30s. Where you can get this noir-y feel abut things. To a certain extent, the book has to be fun too. You have to want to read it, and the atmosphere, and things like that. Does that kind of answer your question?

Correspondent: It sort of does. I think what I’m also kind of curious about — since you are talking about information as a starting point, when did you drift off this focus on information and more into just telling a good old-fashioned pulp yarn?

Child #1: (still enraptured by microphones) Do those really work?

Correspondent: Yes, they do.

Ball: Yup, they work.

The Bat Segundo Show #380: Toby Ball (Download MP3)

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Review: Certifiably Jonathan (2007)

Jonathan Winters has an inviting interstate of a pure American face etched in pure pouches and clover dimples that, aside from the inevitable swelling of age, has changed very little in the past fifty years. He conveys jokes with the deceptively leisurely delivery of your grandfather telling you a tall tale. These two qualities, also shared by the great actor Walter Matthau, may have taken you far as a comedian or a light entertainment actor in the 1950s or the 1960s. But the 21st century’s less elastic notions of masculinity and comedy no longer allow for such talents to persevere.

This is a great shame. Because James David Pasternak’s flawed but fairly entertaining mockumentary Certifiably Jonathan (only just being released in New York, despite being in the can for four years) shows that the old man still has it.

The film opens with Winters sitting in a makeup chair, preparing for a talk show appearance. He asks the makeup lady how long she’s been married. “Twenty years,” she replies. “Well,” Winters improvises, “there’s no sense in getting out if you’ve been in that long. It’s a disease that doesn’t go away.”

Now if you laugh at that answer (and I certainly did), you’re probably over the age of 35 and you’re probably going to enjoy Pasternak’s little movie for what it is. While Certifiably Jonathan makes several disastrous attempts at low-rent improvisational Curb Your Enthusiasm-style scenes featuring Winters refusing to leave Jeffrey Tambor’s home, Winters golfing with Ryan Stiles, Winters with Sarah Silverman at the video store, and every member of the Arquette family who has ever worked in the acting business, it does succeed as a somewhat accidental chronicle of changes in contemporary comedy.

Winters, incidentally, was married to Eileen Schauder for 61 years (until her death in 2009). She’s seen in the film twice: young and dutiful in an archival clip and, in recent years, where she and Winters are sleeping in different rooms. “She snores,” quips Winters, who then commends the many pictures of himself in his room and the fact that they can both appreciate different Presidents this way. Much like his face, Winters’s comedy before the camera is like a familiar friend who hasn’t changed too much over the decades. His wife, on the other hand, wants the cameras to go away by the time Pasternak comes around.

The film’s “story” is about Winters trying to pursue a late-life art career. But as Winters’s website reveals, he’s actually been painting for quite some time. His art, featuring frequent coat hangers and neatly aligned bunches of blunt metaphors, has been making the rounds since the 1970s.

When the film forces Winter to be funny, it is uninteresting. Pasternak, a man who cannot carry a convincing screen moment to save his life, has this obnoxious tendency to want to “act” with Winters. And one greatly wishes that Pasternak had blown his vanity on a midlife crisis Camaro rather than taking the spotlight away from an underrated comedic legend.

What Pasternak does not understand is that Winters is simply funny, and especially funny when Certifiably Jonathan enlists old television clips. There’s one clip featuring a series of improvisations with a stick that uses the same comic science that Robin Williams famously employed with a pink scarf on Inside the Actors Studio. Both Winters and Williams are funny. But Winters came first. I can’t find the specific Winters clip Pasternak uses on YouTube, but this marvelous clip of Winters monkeying around with a pen and pencil sit should give you an idea just how much debt Williams owes Winters. At one point in the film, Winters confesses that Williams gave him an $8,000 watch as a gift. “He should,” says Winters. “He stole a lot of my material.”

Pasternak does manage to get Williams and Winters together for a number of scenes. But strangely enough, Winters has better chemistry with the tremendously underappreciated Howie Mandel when the two men are running around a Target. The footage appears to have been shot shortly before Mandel sold out to become a game show host (and who can blame him? Mandel almost quit showbiz in 2004), but Mandel squeezes his entire body into a shopping cart and is just as quick with the quips as Winters. These two men want to make each other look good. And that’s what great comedy is about.

Jonathan Winters certainly deserves a first-rate documentary. I don’t think this one entirely cuts the mustard, but better Certifiably something than nothing.