Square Books originally scheduled an author appearance here for Jeanine Cummins, author of the novel, American Dirt. 
When accusations of insufficient cultural identity /credibility broke out online against the author, the book’s promotional tour — including a stop here — was canceled.

Square Books has recently received a shipment of signed copies of American Dirt, and these are available to anyone interested. 
As ever, in support of the principles of the First Amendment,  we believe that any writer has the right to create stories regardless of one’s race, gender, nationality or identity, and that each of us has the right to read what one wishes.

Oprah persisted for American Dirt, Click HERE to read more from the Washington Post article. 

Mississippi has been among the last states to entertain the Coronavirus, and it has now become necessary to understand how it may affect us and wise to take precautions.

    While human health is everyone’s chief concern, many independent or local businesses have begun to feel the effects of lower traffic and diminished sales.   Small businesses are rarely flush with cash, and thus can be severely and quickly harmed by even a brief recession.  As I write this, Square Books is not struggling, but chances are good that it may struggle.   We wish to emphasize how important it is to support local businesses of all kinds at this time, and some of the details below about Square Books details apply to other local businesses as well.

   Nothing is more important than the safety and health of our staff and our customers.   Those who come to any of our four locations on the Oxford Square — which remain open our standard hours until further notice, if necessary — will be greeted by staff with a brief written note of common-sense precautions, and, upon leaving, a copy of this message.

    – Those who have reduced social activity are encouraged to visit and order books from our website www.squarebooks.com. 

   – Our media mailing charge is now free, as many are choosing to do business this way.   

   – Within a five mile area of Oxford, we offer free delivery.

   –  Buy gift cards, which can help a small business get through a challenge such as this (www.squarebooks.com/gift-cards). 

   – Get your digital audiobooks through Libro.fm/SquareBooks

   – sign up for our e-newsletter, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and or Facebook to stay up date (@squarebooks).

   – Donate to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, which helps booksellers with medical expenses, natural disaster recoveries, and is likely devising plans to help with COVID-19.
     https://www.bincfoundation.org/  

   – Should you be home more than normal, now is a great time to update your library, and obviously a good time to read.   If you’re low on what to read next, contact the pros here at Square Books for help and check  out our latest Dear Reader catalog.

Thank you for supporting Square Books and other local businesses.   Good health to you and those you love.   Best wishes,

   Richard Howorth

   *thanks to Josh Cook at Porter Square Books (no relation, just indie bookstore friend) in Massachusetts, who not long ago went over much of this on social media.

While we wait out the current health crisis, Richard encouraged us to think about the power of books in difficult times. Today, bookseller Dani writes about finding solace in reading.

In the darkest moments of my life books have saved me over and over again. Now in the midst of a global health crisis when I began to feel powerless and confused and overwhelmed with anxiety, the only thing that gives me solace is books.

Right now, I am reading Ashley Bloom’s forthcoming book, Every Bone a Prayer. It has started me on a journey with a young girl named Misty, the main character, who has an intimate bond with nature. From crawdads shuffling in a nearby pond to an injured doe she stumbles upon in the woods, Misty opens herself up to natural world when all her family does is shut her out. There are so many things happening in this story, but what I deeply relate to is Misty’s ability to find happiness in unlikely places. She finds solace in animals, in trees, in ponds, even when it seems the world around her is falling apart.

I think for many of us it does feel like the world is falling apart. It feels apocalyptic almost. Like this is the end. But one of my favorite poets Nayyirah Waheed once wrote, “i don’t pay attention to the world ending. it has ended for me many times and began again in the morning.”

We have all experienced some thing or things in our lives that have shattered us, made it hard to breathe, made it feel like we couldn’t go any further. But we did. We woke up the next morning. And we pushed. And maybe we cried. Maybe we cried for days, weeks, months. But we didn’t stop. And the world didn’t end. It kept going, and so did we. 

-Danielle Buckingham

Danielle Buckingham, also known as Dani,  is a writer, bookseller, and teacher from Louisville, Mississippi. She has been working at Square Books for almost two years. When she is not working or writing, she is at home tending to her growing family of house plants!

Stop by or call Square Books at 662-236-2262 to check on availability of broadside facsimile and tee-shirts of “All Are Welcome Here.” 

Hi friends, here is the newest edition of the Dear Reader in case you missed it. 

https://www.squarebooks.com/sites/squarebooks.com/files/Spring-Summer%202020%20Online%20Copy.pdf