Big Red Books will open this summer at 120 Main St. in Nyack, N.Y. The Rockland County Business Journal reported that owner Richard Fulco is aiming to have his bookshop offer "personal service, knowledge of books, a human experience where along with a bookseller one enters the magical kingdom of letters and the written word."
An author, poet, playwright, and high school teacher who lives in West Orange, N.J., Fulco said opening a bookstore is a lifelong dream and he chose Nyack for its vibe, friendliness, and its literary notables like Carson McCullers, who lived in South Nyack.
He found the 700-square-foot, recently vacated space on a walk down Main Street, RCBJ noted. For years, he had been researching bookselling, working in bookshops, and envisioning a day when he'd have a bookstore of his own. "I was walking down the street and saw the spot," he recalled. "It called out to me. I don't mean to sound too new age-y, it just spoke to me." He has signed a three-year lease.
The name Big Red Books is a nod to the big red couch Fulco and his partner share in their home. The bookstore will also have a red couch. He plans to stock the shelves with a variety of genres, but "understands that bookstores are community hubs and that bookstores need to be more than just, well, stores that sell books. He's planning on readings, workshops for teens, getting involved with schools' book fairs. Eventually he hopes to open the backyard to use as a gathering place where coffee is served," RCBJ wrote.
"We are looking to be part of the community," said Fulco. "People want to go back to mom-and-pop shops where there is a personal touch. Where you can talk to someone who knows about books, where you can browse. Where it's personal."
Fulco added that he is ready for his second act: "Books have been my life. Everything I do is centered around the written word. I've been a teacher for a long time. I'm ready for a new journey. I've been thinking about this for a long time. This is a dream I haven't given up on."