Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books Still a Hit on the Big Screen!

Did you know we're featured in the film Obvious Child, which came out back in June? Obvious Child, directed by Gillian Robespierre, is an unorthodox romantic comedy, a love story about an abortion. The main character Donna, played by Jenny Slate, is a 28-year-old stand-up comedian who works in a West Village bookstore -- that's right: us! -- until she's told it's going out of business. (No worries though -- in real life, we're in for the long haul.)

Check out these two more recent articles by the GVSHP and New York Observer that testify to how our store keeps people laughing as soon as they see the name on the screen!

West Village Bookshop Steals the Show in 'Obvious Child'
“Audiences laugh so hard when the sign pops up. Either they know the store or they just chuckle because the name is so great,” Ms. Robespierre told Off the Grid. “I’ve never been in a screening when the awning to the shop doesn’t get a laugh.”

The Unconventional, Extra-Ordinary Village Bookstore That Movie Directors Can't Resist
“The narrative in the movie of the store shutting down was very much a deliberate comment on the struggles that independent businesses face, especially in New York City with rents being astronomical, as well as the general decline in actual books being sold and the advancement into the digital age,” Robespierre wrote us in an e-mail. “I grew up in New York City in the ’80s and ’90s when the city was only mom-and-pop stores. Starbucks didn’t rule the streets and banks were not on every corner. We always wanted Donna to work in a small bookshop where the environment felt very familial (that’s very much the vibe of Jim’s shop).”

If you haven't seen Obvious Child, it's still playing at the Angelika theatre. It's truly a great movie, so go check it out (and keep a lookout for us!).

New Series of Free Bookmarks: William Blake

We're proud to announce that the first in a new series of free bookmarks is now available in the store! This one features William Blake -- America a Prophecy's Plate 13, to be exact. Our most famous, nearly trademark image for Unoppressive and unoppressive thinkers.

Once again, these bookmarks are completely free and designed here at the store, so you won't find them anywhere else. Come by and get your own!

Are there other authors or major figures that you'd like to see on a bookmark in the future? Let us know -- we could make it happen!