Hasta Siempre, a recent edition to Fergusons Downtown’s Gather House complex, is an eccentric bookstore that’s quickly becoming a haven for creatives and art connoisseurs. The inventory includes photo books and literature on the underbelly of the art world, scratching an itch for those looking beyond typical bookstore offerings.
Owner Pedro Duran moved to Las Vegas from Ecuador at age 6, under the DREAM Act [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals]. “I’m a Dreamer, and Las Vegas is all I’ve ever known,” he says. “When I was growing up, I went to a lot of house shows on the East Side and skateboarded. I played lacrosse for a while, too.”
The Weekly sat down with Duran to chat about his aspirations and the inspiration behind his shop.
Were you an avid reader as a kid? My mom has always put me onto her favorite novels and writers, because she was a professor back in Ecuador. Well, both of my parents were. My mom taught English, and my dad taught history. They wanted my sister and me to go to college, and I didn’t go that route, but they’re accepting of it now. My sister actually published a book that’s sold at the Writer’s Block. It’s a children’s book. She had cancer, and her leg was amputated, so it’s about accepting kids with different disabilities.
I’m sure they’re very proud now. Yeah, I actually invite my mom to all the art shows, book readings and signings that we’re a part of, and she’s in love with it.
What are some of your favorite books or authors? William S. Burroughs, because I like how gnarly his stuff is. Most of the first editions I carry are from the Beat guys like Burroughs and [Jack] Kerouac, but I have an affinity for photo and art books. To me, Las Vegas doesn’t have much of an art scene and doesn’t catch my attention, which is why I’ve always gravitated towards these kinds of books. You can open one and learn as much as you would if you were to enter a gallery.
What was your inspiration behind Hasta Siempre? It was the lack of that that made me want to open my own shop. Some stores were missing certain niches that you would only find accidentally when looking through, let’s say, the pre-owned section at Zia Records. I want to focus on the stuff that isn’t shown.
When did the store open? About seven or eight months ago. Before the shop, I had a big book collection and would sell and trade on my own. Then I had a vintage thing going on, where I would show a gallery of items on my Instagram and sell them under the name Hasta Siempre. That never died; I just added the bookstore element.
Where does the name Hasta Siempre come from? Hasta Siempre means, ‘Until Forever.” When my mom was in college, she was pro-Che Guevara, pro-Fidel Castro and for the Cuban Revolution. There was a song she would play called “Hasta Siempre Comandante,” by Carlos Puebla. This song was written for Che Guevara and talks about resilience, which stuck with me for a long time. I’ve always loved the saying.
How do you curate your bank of books? While looking for books to add to the store, I have to learn to not be selfish, because most of my findings are just from artists I like. I fall into a wormhole about new information on who influenced who all in this realm of counterculture and raunchy art.
I noticed that you post new books for sale on your Instagram daily. Do you plan on running an online store in the future? No, Amazon has that covered, and I can’t beat their prices. It’s one thing to see these books online and another to walk in and actually feel it in your hands. You can see what kind of paper is used, if the cover has crocodile skin or canvas. I want to make money, but I’d rather people pick up their books in the shop or I’ll even ship to a customer who messages me on Instagram.
What do you hope to accomplish with Hasta Siempre? I want to work with as many people as possible and bring a sense of community to the community. I collaborated with [local art gallery] Scrambled Eggs on an event recently and 400 people pulled up. We brought people from all pockets of life, like the goth community, artsy folk and musicians. A lot can build from this meeting of minds. I want to keep the shop and keep the fire going.
HASTA SIEMPRE BOOKS 1020 Fremont St., instagram.com/hastasiemprebooks. Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
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