Bad news. The Oscar Wilde Bookshop, the oldest LGBT bookstore in the United States, is closing down, yet another victim of this lousy economy. The Oscar Wilde is more than just a bookstore, it's a cultural landmark for the LGBT community, having opened its doors in New York back in 1967, two full years before the Stonewall riots. I've read about the Oscar Wilde before and it was on my list of places to go when I finally got to NYC. That won't be happening now, and that makes me really sad.
This is really a shame, but I can't say it's a surprise. As I've noted before, I work for one of the large bookstore chains and we've been struggling for business for awhile now. I know things are much harder for independent booksellers who don't have the sweet deals with publishers that the big chains get. (Which, by the way, I fully support independent booksellers over chains. I just happened to need a job and the independents around here weren't hiring!)
It's always sad to see another independent bookstore fold, but its even harder to see a place that was such a part of the LGBT community go under.
If you live in or near NYC, the Oscar Wilde will be open until March 29th.
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