Wolfman, Oakland, Calif., is closing after six years in business, owner Justin Carder announced. Wolfman Books, a 750-square-foot independent bookstore specializing in books about social justice and queer and gender studies, has been only part of the enterprise. Wolfman has included a publishing press that puts out a quarterly magazine, New Life Quarterly; a queer skateboard collective that also published zines; a radio station; an artist-in-residency program; a Black independent cinema film screening series; and has hosted many workshops and performances.
In a post on the store's website, Carder wrote in part, "Wolfman's storefront has been closed since mid-March. It's been a difficult and uncertain couple of months. Feels like it's been 100 weird years. In light of all this uncertainty (and a truly insecure lease) I've decided to close our storefront. Wolfman has always been a place to gather in close (such close) proximity to others. It has always been about an open door, and a creaky floor, random encounters, and a free, open public restroom for whoever wants to use it. Ha. Without the possibility of doing events in the space, or of having people really browse safely (or for staff to be in the space) it just doesn't make sense to try and open up again at this time.
"Thank you to everyone who donated to our sixth anniversary fundraiser, to our monthly supporters, and those who have ordered books online. Your support--particularly over these last few months--has meant the world to us. Thanks also for your patience as I have adjusted to shipping out so much mail. If you still haven't received your order or your thank you gift, email me. (Also, if you bought a gift certificate or have credit and you're like what the heck do I do with this now, I can help!)....
"Shout out to everyone who put on a reading, screening, dance performance, noise show, stand up comedy night, radio show, zine release, wedding, radical reading group, or countless other type of thing in the space. Over the last six years I have seen so much amazing art and community here! It's wild. Shout out to all our amazing authors, editors, and New Life contributors. We are honored to have had the opportunity to work with you and to share and champion your work...
"I started Wolfman 6 years ago, with the intent to create a space unlike other book spaces I saw in the Bay Area--a diverse and inclusive space that reflected the artist community I saw around me in Oakland--a space for QTPOC + BIPOC to share their work and to feel community and ownership. While I have worked with a lot of others, particularly BIPOC and queer people to make a really beautiful, radical space together and collaborate on a ton of amazing events and projects--at the same time I want to acknowledge that we have not been able to create a structure for BIPOC members of staff to deeper organizational decision-making and project building, and BIPOC members of our staff have felt left out of financial, publishing, and space decisions. Though we have talked about collective organization a lot at meetings and imagined ways to make it real--I was not able to truly make it real--and in light of this, Wolfemme + Them [four staff members] have chosen to step away from Wolfman to support BIPOC and QTPOC-led projects. As Wolfemme + Them wrote in their recent email about stepping away: 'it is imperative that we not only have a seat at the table, but that the table was created by us.' "
Wolfman will hold a goodbye "distance hang" outside the store on Thursday, July 30, 7-10 p.m.