Read On, March On...(to WBB)
2025 Vol.3
A quick word on everything & events!
There was a viral video going around about Buddies Coffee, which is facing gentrification, rising rent, and increasing competition. I went to that shop a few months ago, and it’s a beautiful, cozy space. When I see BIPOC-owned businesses like that, it always feels like a unified front—small businesses doing what they can with the space they can afford to bring their dreams for community—whatever form that may take—to life.
I made a speech a few weekends ago before our amazing presentation of the Palestine collective Bilna’es regarding this video, and I wanted to share it with you. As much as I love that the community has shown up for Rachel and her business, please make sure you do that all year round for her and other small businesses, especially BIPOC-run businesses, or you’ll see fewer and fewer of these spaces you love.
Waiting for the breaking point or for businesses to hit rock bottom before beginning to support them regularly is not going to cut it. If you love these spaces, support them when the weather is bad, support them minimally with a donation, support by bringing friends, going to events, spreading the word, or ordering online.
Alejandro Heredia, author of Loca, recently said at an event, “I am sorry that capitalism is talking through me right now, but the best way to support me is to buy my book!”
So go support local. Support diverse and inclusive brands. Make it a habit to support BIPOC spaces, artists and authors and stop giving a shit about the corporations of the world—they couldn’t care less about us.
March So Far!
We had an incredible showing for our presentation of Palestinian group Bilan’es with different readers and amazing orgs that were able to spread the information on their community efforts! Moderated by Queen’s very own Paolo Javier.
And last weekend in partnership with Sonia Alejandra Rodriguez and the awesome team over at Chinta.Paisa we held our first writing workshop of the year for writing in perilous times and it was amazing to hear words from our own community. We will be having another workshop in April with Sonia so stay tuned!
Join us tomorrow for..
Join the Asian American Writers’ Workshop and World’s Borough Bookstore for a celebration of Wenzhou Street Sonnets by Mila Jao Barry, featuring Stine An!
Mila Jao Barry is a poet, hand-cut printmaker, and community arts organizer. Her poems have appeared in The Harvard Advocate, Pigeon Pages, and more. Raised by the ocean, they are happiest when with loved ones at the shore or on the marsh. This spring, Mila will graduate with a degree in English from Harvard College, where she researches Emily Dickinson as well as contemporary poetics.
Stine An (안수연) is a Korean American poet, literary translator, and performer based in Queens whose interdisciplinary work explores diasporic poetics, experimental translation, K-pop, and virtual performance.
THE LONG AWAITED BOOKCLUBS!
The number one long-awaited and most requested addition to the shop - bookclubs. Not only one but 3 of them!
El (Book) Club Del Mundo - the store’s general bookclub that will first focus on Latine nonfiction then switch between that and fiction reads each month depending on the voting from the community!
If you want to join make sure you VOTE HERE I am sending out which book won and the game plan for reading tomorrow to everyone who signed up.
Books N’ Brunch is next after I figure out which cookbook author can join us for our family style / potluck / cookbook club! If you have any thoughts or connections let me know!