Brad Johnson, owner of East Bay Booksellers, which was destroyed by a fire Tuesday, has posted an update to the GoFundMe page where more than $145,000 has been raised toward the $200,000 goal to help the bookstore on its road to recovery.
"I cannot express in words how much I appreciate your support over the last few days. Between the donations here, the wonderfully endless words of encouragement I see all over the place online, we feel the love," Johnson wrote. "Let's get together, shall we? Our event with the great poet Daniel Borzutzky, Rachel Galvin (special guest, Tongo Eisen-Martin(!!)) on Monday, August 12th at Gilman Street Brewing Company in Berkeley (7pm) has a heightened poignance in the wake of the fire. Daniel asked me the other day if I wanted to cancel, and I told him that was out of the question. I--and maybe WE--need this. Please swing by."
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| Brad Johnson | |
Johnson noted that Point Reyes Books and City Lights Books have donated the books, so all purchases at the event will be donations. Pizza and beer will be served. "It was going to be a great event in the absence of this, but now... I think it will be truly special," he added.
Many indie bookstores have been posting appeals to their social media followers on behalf of East Bay Booksellers, including Books Are Magic, Brooklyn, N.Y., which described the news as "devastating. It’s such a crazy time but it would mean the world to us if you joined Books Are Magic in getting East Bay Booksellers back on their feet. A fire destroyed their store on Tuesday morning. Anything helps!"
Alibi Bookshop, Vallejo, Calif., posted on Instagram: "The world can't afford to lose any more bookstores, especially a gem like this one. If you can spare it, please help them rebuild by donating to their GoFundMe.... We are so sorry this happened, and we are sending our love and support... And we're looking forward to a grand reopening." And Chaucer's Bookstore, Santa Barbara, wrote: "This is a devastating loss for the store and their community. If you’re able, you can join us in supporting their recovery effort by donating to their Go Fund Me."
The California Independent Booksellers Alliance noted: "If you are in a position to give, there is a GoFundMe linked in our highlights (called East Bay Booksellers) to help the store get back on its feet. CALIBA will share any other ways the community can help East Bay Booksellers here and in our newsletter as the situation develops. Thank you!"