WHY BOOKS STILL MATTER

A distinguished assortment of publishers, booksellers, and First Amendment advocates celebrate the life of an acclaimed bookseller.

As the owner of Denver’s Tattered Cover for more than four decades, Joyce Meskis was instrumental in growing one of the largest independent bookstores in the United States. As an up-and-coming author, publisher, and eventual founder of Rivertowns Books, Weber, the editor of this collection, first met Meskis during a “pilgrimage” to her famed store and subsequently befriended the iconic entrepreneur, marketing genius, industry advocate, and “courageous defender of freedom of expression.” Fittingly, following Meskis’ 2022 death, Weber planned this book as not only a celebration of her distinguished career but also as an homage to the causes closest to her heart. Thus, while many of the essays are written by some of her best friends, who draw on personal anecdotes and memories of Meskis, other essays barely mention her name. Divided into three parts, the book’s first section (“The Ideal Bookseller”) includes deeply personal reflections on Meskis from fellow Denver entrepreneur (and current U.S. senator from Colorado) John Hickenlooper and from Matthew Miller, one of Meskis’ longtime employees and business partners, who emphasizes Meskis’ simple goal of putting “as many books in the hands of as many people as possible.” This section also features broader essays on the value of booksellers to the cultural vibrancy of local communities. The book’s second section (“The Business of Books”) focuses on insider accounts of the industry with essays that explore the nuts and bolts of publishing and marketing (an essay by Chuck Robinson, the former president of the American Booksellers Association, surveys the history of bookstores since the 1980s). The book’s final section (“Fights Worth Fighting”) highlights the political cause dearest to Meskis’ heart and the driver of her public activism: “Defending Our Freedom to Read.” The section begins with an essay written by Meskis herself that was originally published in the Denver Law Review offering her firsthand account of Tattered Cover v. Thornton, a monumental 2002 legal decision that established the principle that law enforcement officials do not have the right to access sales records of a bookstore without just cause. Additional essays include a historical overview of freedom of speech and censorship campaigns dating to the 1920s by Christopher Finan, former executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship, and a reflective legal essay on freedom of speech by First Amendment lawyer Steven Zansberg, who worked closely with Meskis as president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. This book not only does an admirable job of commemorating the life and causes of Meskis but also provides keen insights into the past, present, and future of the industry in which she worked. Most impressive is the collection’s striking lineup of contributors, which includes some of the leading voices in the publishing and bookselling communities as well as prominent free speech activists. Given the breadth of expertise the book draws upon, it is a testament to the editor’s skill that the essays prove consistently engaging and approachable. Those inside the book business will find a valuable analysis of their trade, while those on the outside will gain an accessible introduction to the industry.

An impressive, fitting tribute to an iconoclastic bookseller.