If you've spent any time in Corvallis, you know about Grass Roots Books: the beloved local, indipendent bookstore that has served the community for over 55 years. Just this past February, longtime owners Jack Wolcott and Sandy Smith passed the baton to a new ownership team, among them SWLF graduate Jay Enghauser. While at OSU, Jay did all the writing things. They majored in creative writing, served as the Editor-in-Chief of the campus literary magazine, and joined the Creative Writing Society. Below, Jay reflects on how these experiences have influenced their approach to bookselling, their hopes for the store, and a few book recommendations just in time for summer reading season.
How did your time in SWLF shape the way you think about running a bookstore?
Oh gosh, the list could be so long here. I have to start with John Larison, whose publishing practicum got me into the Denver Publishing Institute, and to even consider what I was going to do with a writing degree other than simply write. Jennifer Richter (nicely) forced me to take my poetry more seriously - and discover other poets in my cohort. Keith Scribner opened my world to consider fiction as a whole, what systems are in place, and where we can manipulate them. Karen Holmberg pushed me out of my comfort zone and into yhe letterpress studio. Somehow, in the same term, she taught a book that I despise (Paradise Lost), and tied it into one of my favorites of all time (Frankenstein). Brandy St. John kindled my leadership skills by advising the Creative Writing Society while I was a member and the secretary of the club. I loved all grad students who taught the intro classes of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Finally, I need to shout out Elena Passarello for helping bridge the gap between college and my career when I first started out at Grass Roots.
Grass Roots Books is such a beloved local icon. What do you want to preserve about its legacy and what do you want to do more of?
Grass Roots has been a pillar of the Corvallis community for many years. Jack, Sandy, and Tiffany (our book buyer who's been here for over 20 years) have carefully curated a space for people to find books that felt like they were specifically on the shelf for them. They also began the connections to local schools, other business owners, and the music scene that i'm taking action to help flourish now. What we're trying to start now is reach OSU students where they are. We are going to campus and selling books at events there more than ever. I'm a 2024 grad, so i've been able to maintain the connections to PRISM, the OSU Writing Center, SWLF faculty, the Creative Writing Society, and the Student Literary Club that I made in undergrad, and I think it's making a big difference. We also want to continue working towards making Grass Roots Books a place for readers and writers to spend their time surrounded by love and words.
Could you share three books that you love to hand sell? Maybe some favorites for our readers to take on their summer vacations?
Three books I am LOVING right now:
- Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke; Fans of Bunny and Girl Dinner will go feral for this fever dream of a satirical debut novel. Trad-wife influencer of a wannabe corporate farmer and politician gets sent back to the 1800s. Is it a test from God? A crazy new reality TV show? Time travel? Flit between timelines and join Natalie at Yesteryear Ranch to find out. I also just found out that Anne Hathaway bought the movie rights to produce and star in it!
- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenjins Reid; Still not over the chokehold Project Hail Mary has on me, I grabbed another astronaut novel to balm my space-obsessed heart. Set in the 90's, we follow the journey of a women in love - with her ambition, caring for her niece, and eventually, one of the only other females first accepted into a NASA space program. Adrenaline runs high when Joan, the main character, is directing a mission from the ground that goes terribly wrong. I enjoyed switching between the intense crisis above the atmosphere and the slow-burning sapphic love story.
- The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J.R. Dawson; This book broke my little gay heart in the best ways. It hurt so good, seriously. If you've ever played the game Spiritfarer, you know the gist of the story, BUT make it Jewish, set in 2005 Chicago, and throw in a love interest that teaches you what it truly means to have a soul.