Every year, vendors at the Festival of Books empty their shelves at the end of the weekend to return unsold inventory to their stores.
Far less often, a vendor works to clear his shelves for good.
Doug Dutton and his staff have done the former for 12 years, ever since the festival’s inception.
But this year, there will be no Dutton’s Brentwood Books tents to clear out on Sunday. There are too few books to sell. What little inventory is left is trickling off the shelves at the store on San Vicente Boulevard as part of a closing sale that will end April 30.
Independent bookstores struggle for broad recognition in the bookselling world, but the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books presents an opportunity to bring them all together.
“They are probably the best building block for community. They can be the center of intellectuality. … You need the most interesting and engaged people,” Dutton said. “The Festival of Books brings all those people together in one place for one glorious weekend in one stunning location. It’s the ultimate sty for book pigs.”
Dutton’s and the Festival of Books
Lise Friedman, events coordinator for Dutton’s, was serving as president of the Southern California Booksellers Association when someone from the Los Angeles Times approached her with the idea for a book festival. She joined an advisory board to help mull over ideas for the event, and as soon as it was possible, she signed Dutton’s up for a booth. No one expected the overwhelming success.
“It was just crazy,” Friedman said. “The lines for food were unbelievable. The lines for bathrooms were unbelievable. … Nobody anticipated that every panel would be oversubscribed by a hundred percent.”
Despite the crowds, the attendees enjoyed their weekend foray into the world of books ““ at the end of the festival, many did not want to leave.
Vendors, on the other hand, had to overcome logistical nightmares throughout the weekend.
“We ran out of change,” Friedman said. “I remember going over to other bookstores and saying, “˜OK, I’ve got quarters. What have you got? I need nickels! I need nickels!'”
Despite the chaotic nature of that first festival, the Dutton’s staff came back, year after year, increasing the store’s presence and place in the L.A. book-loving community.
In the last decade and a half, much has been made of the battle between independent and corporate bookstores. At the festival, there is a mixed atmosphere: Nearly all the independent sellers in the region set up tents, sharing the business with corporate chains such as Borders and even Target.
And, whether independent sellers like it or not, corporate sponsors are vital to the festival.
“The kind of dollars asked for in a sponsor are not the kind of money an independent seller can contribute,” said Maret Orliss, the program manager for the festival.
Instead, having large corporate sponsors with the right bankroll makes it possible for independent booksellers to be a part of the festival.
“There’s a place for the corporate booksellers. … We wouldn’t be able to do it without them,” Orliss said.
Friedman agreed that the corporate bookstores provide the important capital to make the festival work, but she added that she doesn’t think their presence hurts independent stores’ business.
Dutton, on the other hand, thinks the festival’s environment is generated almost entirely by the independent vendors.
“Among other independents, I feel more of a collegial atmosphere. I feel generally (the chains) are doing good things, but I do mourn the loss of variety that corporatization brings,” Dutton said.
No matter what people say about the bookselling competition, the festival attracts people who love books, both as readers and writers, and it’s hard to find someone who can say something against that.
Friedman’s fondest memories of working the festival came when she saw firsthand the joy of reading.
“One of the best things about working in the children’s area is that it’s a lot of kids who’ve been given $5 to buy a book, and they’re so excited. Couple that with the fact they’ve just seen Barney or R.L. Stine, and they’re on a high,” Friedman said. “They’re just thrilled, and that energy is wonderful.”
“1984-2008″
April 30, closing day for Dutton’s, is right around the corner. The clearance sale has greatly thinned the selection on the shelves. There are few bestsellers left, and even fewer new releases. The staff cannot make a more helpful recommendation than “You can look if you’d like, but we probably don’t have it.”
Though inventory may be in its death throes, the mood in the store is not entirely funereal.
“On one hand, it’s draining. Every single person says something, and I appreciate that: They care about the store. I would say something if a business that I went to a lot closed, but it’s just draining, and I personally deal with bad things by denial,” Friedman said. “On the other hand, it’s really heartening how supportive the community has been. I just feel loved. … It would’ve been awful if we had closed and no one had noticed.”
Though Dutton’s will be missed, there are still bookstores galore ““ both large chains and independent treasures. And for those mourning the loss of another local, community-based bookstore, there is an important message scribbled on a small, solitary bookshelf in the Dutton’s courtyard: “Keep reading.”