Ann Patchett Makes a Personal Investment in Nashville's Readers

I absolutely love what Ann Patchett is doing to demonstrate her respect for books, bookstores, and readers.  Ms. Patchett is putting her own money on the line in order to open a new 2,000 square foot bookstore at a time when way more bookstores are closing than are being opened.

This Tennessean article has all the details.

From what I recall, before Patchett and her business partner, Karen Hayes, open their new Parnassus Books (and before the opening of a new Barnes & Noble store at/around Vanderbilt), Nashville was a large city without a bookstore to call its own.  The Borders Books massacre and the closing of a huge Davis-Kidd bookstore there had left book buyers pretty much out of luck if they wanted to actually hold a new book in their hands before they paid for it.

Ann Patchett

Patchett is quick to point out that her partner is doing most of the real work associated with running a bookstore, but that she considers the outlet to be her "gift to the city" of Nashville.  She has made a substantial financial investment in the bookstore and, understandably, even though she is not in it for the money, she would love to at least break even on the deal.

NPR has even more details and pictures plus a link to an All Things Considered radio piece the network did on the opening of Parnassus Books.

And, finally, here is a direct link to the new store's website.