We spend this episode with the inimitable Suzanne DeGaetano of Mac’s Backs Books on Coventry, the beloved indie bookstore in Cleveland Heights (and popping up all over the city) that just celebrated its 40th anniversary. Suzanne shares invaluable insights into the workings of an independent bookstore; welcoming people and sustaining community; paying the bills; changes in the industry over the past 40 years; the role of events, social media, wholesalers like Ingram, and neon signs; the longstanding relationship between food service and literary work; and more. This is a Cleveland-forward episode so get ready.

You’ll hear us mention some other great indies in Northeast Ohio, like: Loganberry Books, Visible Voice, and Elizabeth’s. And we’ll talk a bit about changes at Small Press Distribution (SPD), the stubborn persistence of print books, Bookshop.org, and our feelings about the phrase “slim volume.” Oh, and Espresso Book Machines do exist, despite Hilary’s choice of verb tenses.

It’s summer, so in this month’s eps you’ll also literally hear Cleveland—birds, wind, traffic, whatever—because it was hot and the windows were open. This podcast is an immersive experience.