New season, new owner, new look: it’s full steam ahead for East Hampton’s beloved BookHampton. Carolyn Brody purchased BookHampton in March; she then brought in architect Deborah Berke to redo the interior and Pentagram’s Michael Bierut to refresh the visual branding. She says, "I am thrilled to continue the wonderful legacy of this bookstore. We’ve opened up the space, added more bookshelves, and refurbished throughout. I think everyone will find something they love here, and I couldn’t ask for a more responsive community."
You’ll find favorites, general interest, classics, and new releases in an extensive inventory of more than 20,000 titles. Brody has introduced a selection of intriguing and inspiring books selected by the staff alongside BookHampton’s curated children’s and young-adult sections. She’s also brought in her longtime friend, one of the most influential booksellers in the country, Roxanne Coady, owner of R.J. Julia in Madison, Connecticut, to help get the bookstore up and running. Author events scheduled for this summer include Firooz Zahedi, Gerald Marzorati, Judith Stein, Jay McInerney, Moira Weigel, Isaac Mizrahi, and Maira Kalman.
BookHampton opened on Newtown Lane in 1971 and was owned by George Caldwell and Jorge Costello (known locally as the "two Georges"). (One of them laughed at a very young Laura Euler when she asked for a Nancy Drew, which the store didn’t carry. Grrr.) It moved to 20 Main Street, and in 1999 was sold to Hal Zwick, who sold it in 2000 to Charline Spektor and her late husband, Jeremy Nussbaum. In 2006, BookHampton relocated to its current address at 41 Main Street.
The store will be open year round. Brody says, ""We’re a community bookstore, and this isn’t only for summer, it’s for everyone."
- BookHampton [CH]
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