Sure, the Writer’s Block sells books, but the Downtown retailer is much more than a bookstore—just look to two of its weekend events.
Saturday afternoon is the second Local Author Showcase, which features Valley-based writers specializing in a chosen genre. After May’s inaugural sci-fi/fantasy edition, non-fiction will be the focus on June 27, with local scribes who write about everything from entrepreneurism to tai chi to hiking to the Italian region of Calabria representing. Participating authors have their books displayed in the front of the store throughout the month, which culminates with the meet-and-greet showcase every final Saturday. “Folks come for one author, but then they meet the other authors,” says Scott Seeley, who co-owns the store with his husband, Drew Cohen. “Some were leaving with four books.”
The night before that showcase, the Writer’s Block hosts its own book club gathering (independent clubs also congregate at the space at times), where bookworms can discuss Linn Ullmann’s The Cold Song, praised by both The New York Times and The New Yorker in 2014. Seeley says the store’s official club will meet every other month, with selections alternating from classics to contemporary titles.
The Writer's Block Book club: June 26, 6-8 p.m. Local Author Showcase: June 27, 5-7:30 p.m. 1020 Fremont St., 702-550-6399.
