Have you ever dreamed of opening a bookstore one day? for novelists Maura CheeksIt opened on June 23rd. Book Bar in Leeds At Carroll Gardens. (It’s also a cafe and wine bar!) Here she talks about her work clothes, her favorite novels, and her $60 wedding band…
shirt: Book Bar in Leeds. shorts: Everlane, similar. basketball: similar.
“That’s why my bookstore is called Book Bar in LeedsPeople think I’m Liz, but she was actually my maternal grandmother. When I was growing up in Philadelphia, we went to the bookstore together. And she handed me thick books that I shouldn’t have read. She made me believe that writing was something I could do. We felt naming the store after her was the right way to honor her.”
Jumpsuit: Everlane, On resale sites. conveyance: Book Bar in Leeds. Shoes: “Senderos is blocked by DNA shoes.” similar. basketball: similar.
“I’m often in the basement or behind the bar, so comfort is my top priority. I usually wear baggy pants and closed-toe shoes. “But when I’m short on time, I buy this jumpsuit that I wear at least once a week.”
pants: paloma wool, On resale sitesalso similar. shirt: similar. Shoes: “Senderos is blocked by DNA shoes.” similar.
“I really like pants. paloma wool It prints louder, like this checkered pattern. They also best sweater — I always wear this in winter.”
“When we got married, my husband and I wanted simple rings. we found thisblack belt On Etsy. If we are short on staff, my husband will cover shifts. thank you.”
Jumpsuit: “Street Festival in Philadelphia” similar. basketball: similar.
“New Yorkers wear a lot of black clothes. So when I wear bright clothes, customers will notice, ‘Wow, are you feeling good today?’ I absolutely love bar hours at Liz’s. We feel great because we already have regular customers. Recommended by staff Do your best. “It’s a really great community.”
shirt: Rag and Bone. pants: 33 field trip. Shoes: “Senderos is blocked from: dna shoes,” similar. basketball: similar.
“In 2019, I wrote an article After finishing this book, I still had many questions I wanted to explore about the racial wealth gap in America. So I turned to novels. act of forgiveness It’s about what happens after the Reparations Act is passed, and what it could mean for a family and the country more broadly.”
“Running a bookstore is more stressful and difficult than you can imagine. There are a million little details and you have to make decisions on the fly every day. But it’s rewarding. There aren’t many black-owned businesses in this neighborhood. And many black women have come up to me and told me they are so proud of what I do. “When that happened, I finally stopped crying.”
thank you for welcoming us your bookstore And your world, maura!
PS More women share their outfits from the weeks ahead, including a pattern lover in Seattle and an antiques dealer in Maine.
(Photo credit: Matsuo Yumi.)
