by Tesha M. Christensen
Two booklovers have opened up a bookstore in Longfellow. Moon
Palace Books is located in the same building as Peace Coffee Wonderland Park
and Trylon Microcinema at Minnehaha Ave. and 33rd St.
“I’ve written books, published books, and sold books to
stores,” said Moon Palace owner Jamie Schwesnedl. “And I love to read, but
Angela is a total book maniac. I don’t think anyone who knows her was surprised
to hear that she was opening a bookstore."
“I’d probably read everything if I had time,” admitted Jamie’s
wife and co-owner Angela Schwesnedl.
She had worked at the Paperback Exchange at 50th and Penn for
10 years, but wanted to sell more new books that reflect her interests and
tastes. That combined with a desire to work within walking distance of her
Powderhorn residence and a wish to own her own business resulted in the opening
of Moon Palace Books last fall.
The small size of the store sets it apart, according to the
Schwesnedls. “You can stand in one spot, and see a lot of different kinds of
really interesting books,” said Angela. “Chances are, if it’s a new book, one
of us has read it, or has it in our to-read pile.”
They have set out to be a neighborhood bookstore, one that
people from Longfellow, Powderhorn, and Corcoran can bike or walk to with their
kids.
The couple picked a location they were already familiar with,
as both have volunteered with the Trylon Microcinema next door, which screens
classic films each week. The Trylon uses a pair of Century 35mm projectors
donated by the University of Minnesota, as well as 1080p/24 digital projection
and 8-channel sound.
“Longfellow is a great neighborhood,” said Angela. “It’s
full of readers and writers and people who like to shop where they live. We
wanted to be close to businesses we liked so the chance to be in the same building
as Peace Coffee and the Trylon was very appealing.”
The name of their bookstore was one the Schwesnedls felt
would fit with both Peace Coffee Wonderland Park and the Trylon.
“Moon Palace is the name of a book by Paul Auster. I
read it when I was just figuring out what kind of reader I was and what kind of
things I like to read, so I always say it’s the book that turned me into a
reader,” observed Angela.” It’s about a guy who inherits boxes of books
from his uncle and uses the boxes for furniture, and then when things get hard
he reads them and sells them.”
Moon Palace Books is a general interest bookstore. The
Schwesnedls sell new and used, fiction and non-fiction, kids’ books, cookbooks,
and a few magazines.
“We just keep trying to carry more of whatever kinds of
things people are buying,” stated James. “Angela works really hard to stay on
top of what’s coming out, what looks exciting to her, and what she thinks our
customers will like.”
On their web site, customers may order books and either have
them shipped to a personal address or direct to the bookstore. They also have
e-books available online, and sell Kobo Minis, Glos and the Kobo Arc e-reader
tablets in the bookstore. “Just because someone wants to read an e-book doesn’t
mean that they have buy from a big internet retailer,” said Angela.
“You can read ebooks and still shop local and support an
independent bookstore like Moon Palace Books.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
There are several upcoming events at Moon Palace Books.
To celebrate the release of his new book, Songs of the Abyss,
Eamon Espey has collaborated with Lisa Krause to make a puppet show adaptation
of his comic, “Ishi’s Brain.” It will be presented at Moon Palace Books on
Saturday, April 20 at 4 p.m. Krause and Espey turn the story into a science
fiction ritual where a lone spirit spends his final days and an alien shaman
helps guide the dead into the next world. The show includes shadow puppets,
masks, a marionette and a liberal use of painted cardboard with an original
soundtrack written by Stephen Santillian of Baltimore bands Thank You and Ghost
Life.
Join a book discussion and reception World Book Night on
April 23.
CONTACT AND HOURS
Learn more about Moon Palace Books by calling 612-454-0455,
emailing info@moonpalacebooks.com, or browsing http://www.moonpalacebooks.com.
Hours are Monday to Saturday noon to 6:30 p.m. and Sunday
noon to 4 p.m.
SIDEBAR
ANGELA’S
TOP 5 BOOKS (SO FAR THIS YEAR)
1)
“Driftless” by David Rhodes
2)
“Prairie Silence” by Melanie Hoffert
The
Fault in Our Stars by John Green
3) “The
Voyeurs” by Gabrielle Belle
4)
“Devil in a Blue Dress” by Walter Mosley
JAMIE’S
TOP 5 BOOKS
1) “The
Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler
2) “The
Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven” by Sherman Alexie
3)
“Freedom” by Jonathan Franzen
4)
“Just Kids” by Patti Smith
5)
“Bluebeard” by Kurt Vonnegut
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