Blueprint Coffee and Left Bank Books are kicking off their second-annual Summer Book Bazaar Series with a queer-affirming theme for pride month, titled Queer Joy June. The series, which will be hosted monthly at literary arts cafe High Low, aims to highlight diverse voices in literature and cultivate themes that coincide with the mission of both businesses.
Queer Joy June, the first of four pop-ups, will be held on June 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be followed by Left Bank Books Staff Picks on July 28, Empowerment August on August 11, and Banned Books pop up on September 29. Blueprint Coffee’s High Low location will offer their full beverage and pastry menu, as well as Book Bazaar series beverage specials, and allow customers to peruse new book titles thanks to Left Bank Books’ hand-picked selection.
“As a queer bookstore, staffed almost entirely by queer folks, it’s long been our mission to create more access to representative literature,” Left Bank Books general manager Danielle King says. “There’s little in this world as encouraging as seeing a younger—or older—queer person discover their first trans or gay or lesbian author, and to see the glint of recognition in their eyes when they realize that, Oh, this person is like me.”
Left Bank Books, the oldest and largest independent bookstore in the St. Louis area, launched their inaugural Summer Book Bazaar Series alongside Blueprint Coffee and the Kranzberg Arts Foundation in the summer of 2023.
“This was such a success last summer that we knew we needed to bring it back,” King says. “Reading continues to decline around the U.S., and critical pieces of literature are being banned. We see this as community advocacy, especially when it comes to uplifting queer and other underrepresented voices. Stories connect us and help us better understand one another.”
Left Bank Books hopes to capitalize off of their dedicated customer base and personal commitment to community-building to bring diverse, queer, and underrepresented voices to the forefront during this series of fun-filled, yet salient events.
No related posts.