Proprietor R.A. Washington has posted that his distinctive little indie bookstore on Detroit Road in Gordon Square is closing as of Sun 11/13.
Washington has long been known around the area as a prolific journalist, poet and novelist. He and partner Lyz Bly originally opened the shop in June 2013 in a tiny space next door to the Capitol Theatre on W. 65th where he sold an array of indie press books and zines not available at any other outlet in town.
The space also hosted readings, concerts and meetings, as well as headquartered his self-explanatory Books 2 Prisoners program, providing people in prison with donated reading material. Late last summer it moved to the new, larger and more prominent storefront on Detroit Road with more capacity for events.
Washington posted the following note of explanation on Thu 11/10:
This last year has been a difficult one. We’ve fought to keep the doors open, and now we must close them in an effort to continue our work bringing Books 2 Prisoners all over Ohio, and to continue the amazing work of GTK Press, which in its first year published 15 books of non fiction, poetry and fiction. A press that organized and published 8 issues of a creative journal, sparked off a monthly magazine called KULCHUR and collaborated with the City Club to publish a document of dialogue called A Race Anthology: Dispatches and Artifacts From A Segregated City.
Over the last 2 years we have been able to serve over 3,000 prisoners all over the State by making their book requests happen through Books 2 Prisoners. We thank all of you bought a book, or donated to Cleveland Books 2 Prisoners. We have exhausted every way we could to keep the retail space open, please know that we did our very best.
We will be officially closed on Monday, November 14th. Please order books from our press, and continue to look for announcements as we plan our next move, although the decision to close is a financial one, and is being done as a emergency measure, we were already beginning to plan an evolution of our mission. We are proud of what we have been able to accomplish, and excited to grow. We will keep our regular hours till Sunday, so stop by one last time, grab a book or just visit our garden space.
I want to thank our staff, volunteers and community members for their tremendous efforts and sacrifices, I can not thank you all enough. Your tireless commitment to the mission, and your talent speaks volumes. I am honored to know you, and look forward to the work we do together in the future.
Thank you for your support.
VIVA!
RA Washington