2025
something worth bringing back the newsletter
Here’s why I sat down to write a newsletter for the first time in more than two years — I need you to give money to help Boneshaker Books move.
I’ve volunteered at Boneshaker off and on since August, 2013. This was right before my junior year of college, right before I turned 22. Hanging out at Boneshaker has been a major force in shaping my life. The people, books, and ideas I encountered because of this place are so important to me. I started volunteering again at the start of 2023, and coming back as a real adult, with some extra capacity to put into keeping this place running, has been so rewarding. The past couple of months I’ve been part of Boneshaker’s lease committee, which was incredibly stressful and exhilarating.
The lease committee was created to explore whether Boneshaker should move at the end of its lease. Going in the vibe was maybe, probably, if we can find the right spot. Looking through what was out there was really interesting. I’ve learned far too much about commercial real estate over the past couple of months. We found a space that I think is going to be awesome. We’re moving from a tucked away part of Seward to Whittier, on 26th right off Lyndale. (The purple store front, if you’re familiar with the intersection.) We’re going to have such cool neighbors, including the new cafe going in on the corner, Dreamstate, which is run by our new landlords, who seem like lovely people capable of maintaining the beautiful old building. Moving is really scary, but I think this is going to be good for Boneshaker, and is going to put us in a place where we can grow and blossom.
Moving is also expensive. Our fundraiser is going really well, and I feel confident we’re going to be able to cover our immediate moving costs. But anything above that 15k will put us in a better position going forward. The new space is great, but there’s some work we want to do, including making the restroom more accessible, which is going to cost a lot of money. If the bookstore had savings, even just a little bit of savings, it would be beautiful, and so good for the general stress levels. The more money we raise the more cool things we can do, and the more secure we’ll feel about the future.
Boneshaker is so important to me, and I really believe its existence is good for the world. It’s scary out there, but Boneshaker is a place where people come together, build community, make connections, and make plans for a brighter future. Giving Boneshaker twenty bucks is a concrete way you can help make the world better.
Give money to Boneshaker if you love radical literature, if you love radical spaces in Minneapolis, if you love me, if you’ve ever liked anything I’ve written. Here’s the link again. Anything you give will be appreciated. The perks we’re offering are really good too.
PICTURE OF MY CAT
WHAT I WATCHED
My dad and I went and saw One Battle After Another! It is as good as everyone says it is, which barely seemed possible, but yeah. Incredible. I read Vineland, the Pynchon novel the film is vaguely based on, and I enjoyed myself, but the film is really something special. It’s also a girl dad movie, and I’m very glad I got to see it with the old man. I looked over and we were both tearing up at the big hug towards the end.
SONG OF THE DAY
This appears very briefly in One Battle After Another in a very funny moment, and is referenced throughout. Also a very good Boneshaker song.