In a post for Tin House magazine's Open Bar blog headlined "Literati and the Revival of Ann Arbor Book Culture," Santi Elijah Holley recounted some downtown bookselling history--including the original Borders store as well as longtime indie Shaman Drum--before focusing on the Literati Bookstore and owners Hilary and Michael Gustafson, who in 2012 "decided to return to their home state and pursue their dream of opening a new bookstore in downtown Ann Arbor."
Holley noted that "in the two-and-a-half years since Literati opened their doors, the excitement and encouragement from the public has not diminished. On each of my visits, the store was busy--not just with gawkers but with actual book-buying customers. Much of their success has to do with Hilary and Michael's shared vision, their careful attention to aesthetic and their small staff of veteran booksellers. Their success also has much to do with their level of community engagement, whether with their four book clubs, their signed first-editions club, or their author events, which, for a relatively new bookstore, is formidable."
"I view what we're doing here as just a continuation of the rich history of bookselling in Ann Arbor," Michael Gustafson said. "All the success and growth that we've experienced is because of the booksellers who've been here before."
