11th Hour Reprieve for Eso Won?

Following last week’s item on the threat of closure at LA’s Eso Won bookstore, LA Times columnist Sandy Banks talks up a recent surge in business, the result of urgent prodding by local community leaders, which brought sales “up 500% over a typical weekend.” Her main emphasis is on the store’s community-building function, drawing African-American readers from all over the Los Angeles area, “not just to find books they might enjoy, but to feel, for a little while, not in the minority.” The problem, as she hints towards the end of the column, is whether this momentary uptick in sales can be transformed into steady customer support—and the prognosis from other local booksellers is not entirely encouraging.

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