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"I wanted it to be a hub of storytelling, whether that is music, screenplays, fiction, nonfiction or poetry," explained Basil Iwanyk, owner of Thunder Road Books in Spring Lake, N.J. "The focus is flicks, books and rock & roll."
Iwanyk, a movie producer who owns the production company Thunder Road Films, opened the bookstore in late May with the help of Kate Czyzewski, a former special education teacher and book blogger who runs the bookstore day-to-day. The general-interest bookstore sells books for all ages, with a significant children's section and, because of Iwanyk's film background and love of music, more coffee-table books, film books and music books than the typical small indie bookstore might have.
The store sells all new titles, along with a selection of nonbook items that speak to "creativity and artistry." There are journals for writers and musicians, as well as kids items like night lights and puzzles; Czyzewski noted that they're looking to expand those sideline offerings as the months go on.
Thunder Road Books has started hosting events for children and adults, with twice-weekly storytime sessions and adult author events almost weekly. Given the limited space, the store has partnered with the local community theater to host off-site events, and Czyzewski said those have "really taken off this fall." Czyzewski added that there's a sort of bar area at the front of the store, where people can sit, read and use the store's wi-fi, that has proven very popular.
Toward the end of November the store will start hosting monthly writing workshops for people of all ages, and on the subject of future events, Iwanyk said he plans to "cash in on every favor" he's owed from writers, directors, actors and authors that he's worked with over the years. He hopes to bring them down to Spring Lake (about 90 minutes from New York City) and have them discuss "their craft and point of view."
"What's beginning to take shape is that it's becoming a space for artists to gather," said Czyzewski. "It's incredible to start seeing that."
Iwanyk explained that he's "always been a huge reading fanatic," though he's worked in the movie business since the early 1990s, on films such as the John Wick movies, Sicario, A Star Is Born, Wind River and many others, and "one of the things about producing movies is you travel a lot." When he was away from his family, sometimes for long stretches at a time, he "found solace in going to bookstores," and they were places he always loved.
After some 12 years of being bi-coastal, with Iwanyk and his family spending summers on the East Coast while living in Los Angeles, they moved to Spring Lake about 18 months ago. While sitting around with his wife one day, they started asking themselves, "what do we want to do now?" A storefront between a coffee shop and a pizza place opened up, and Iwanyk realized that he wouldn't find a better space for a bookstore in Spring Lake.
He took the plunge and got the space, but at the same time had "no idea what I was doing." He was very passionate about books, but had never worked in retail or owned a store, let alone a bookstore. While the store was being built out and he was brainstorming what the inventory should look like and what sort of atmosphere he wanted to create, Iwanyk was also looking for someone to "not just run the store but have an emotional investment in it."
At that time Czyzewski was still working as a teacher while running a book blog in her spare time. A mutual acquaintance introduced her to Iwanyk, recommending her as a "huge book nerd." Czyzewski actually said no the first time Iwanyk asked her to manage the store, but she eventually decided it was a great opportunity to merge her "love of teaching" with her "passion for books."
Iwanyk recalled that there was an initial six-week stretch where Czyzewski was at school and he covered the store every morning until around 1 or 2 p.m., which felt like jumping into the deep end. "It was a blast," he said, laughing, "but now she doesn't want me anywhere near the store." --Alex Mutter