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| Gibran Graham | |
Late last month, Gibran Graham, owner of the Briar Patch bookstore in Bangor, Maine, suffered a stroke and was airlifted to Portland, where he will be hospitalized for at least several more weeks. Other booksellers have rallied to help him, including Heidi Carter, owner of Bogan Books, Fort Kent, Maine, who created a GoFundMe campaign for Graham. In less than a week, the campaign has raised $60,000 toward a goal of $100,000.
Carter wrote in part, "In 2018, when I decided to open a bookstore in northern Maine, I didn't know where to begin. Not long after I began advertising the opening of Bogan Books, Gibran reached out to me. He could have not reached out, he could have tried to convince me that I couldn't open another bookshop in Maine, and he could have been condescending or mean. But he wasn't any of that. Instead, without knowing me at all, he welcomed me into the world of indie booksellers in Maine. He introduced me to a community of amazing people and he continually made sure I knew about meetings and programming opportunities that he thought would be helpful to me and my store. Gibran doesn't know this, but he was my game-changer.
"That's Gibran.
"He is extremely community centered. I have learned that he isn't one to sit on the sidelines. He is involved in the community of Bangor from city government to theatre, collaborative events, and more.
"He supports authors, schools, literacy, and other local establishments. He also gets involved with the bookselling world as much as he is allowed and has often presented authors at regional meetings and worked on committees for the American Booksellers Association. He is passionate about selling books and also helping people find the right book for them."
The Briar Patch started more than 35 years ago as a children's bookstore and has expanded in recent years to carry a variety of titles for adults, too. The store also offers author readings and signings, storytimes and other events.