#50: Logos

It’s Mr. Boo Boo’s world, we’re just living in it

The Shop: Logos Bookstore

Yorkville, Manhattan 1575 York Ave

Entering Logos Bookstore on a quiet block on York Ave, you are immediately greeted by Mr. Boo Boo, a chunky lethargic cat lounging in a sunbeam by the entrance. This is Mr. Boo Boo's store, complete with a cat tree, cozy furniture for human and feline use, and even a full litter box with all of the associated odors! Logos is about as far from the sleekness of a McNally Jackson style bookstore as you can get. It's eclectic with a mix of titles, genres, and levels of pre-loved wear and tear stacked on old wooden shelves held together with glue and love. While about half the store is secular fare, Logos is a Christian bookstore complete with a C.S. Lewis section, a theology section with prominently displayed Pat Robertsons, a whole bunch of bibles, and a Judaica section featuring Billy Crystal's childrens book!?? This store is kitschy for sure, and the opposite of hip... which by the rules of hipness, makes it the hippest bookstore of all??

What I got:

My Autobiography of Carson McCullers

I spotted this in the biography section near the front of the store. I've already documented in this newsletter my love of Carson McCullers, whose books The Member of the Wedding and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter are big bay windows into the human soul. Jenn Shapland's book uncovers personal correspondence by McCullers that clash with popular perceptions of her, and connects them to Shapland's own experiences as a writer and queer person. I'm thrilled to get a look into the personal life of a writer who has given me so much through her work.