Everywhere I go, the kids call me 'the book lady.' The older I get, the more appreciative I seem to be of the 'book lady' title. It makes me feel more like a legitimate person, not just a singer or an entertainer. But it makes me feel like I've done something good with my life and with my success.
--Dolly Parton (via the Bookstore at Fitger's, Duluth, Minn.)
Dolly Parton died on Tuesday. She was 80. The Associated Press described her as a "country music icon whose soaring vibrato vocals, poignant songwriting and sparkling costumes defined her rise from a log cabin in the Tennessee mountains to the height of stardom and acclaim."
That's true, but she was so much more. The AP also noted that Dolly was a "charismatic humanitarian, whose good humor and straightforward generosity lifted the well-being of communities in her home state and beyond. Fans across generations and geographies say it will remain part of Parton's legacy."
I wasn't surprised by the book world's emotional response to her passing. Dolly was one of us. In addition to being an accomplished author, her legacy is permanently enshrined in the Imagination Library, which to date has donated more than 330 million books to children across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Australia. The project was inspired by her father, whom Parton described as a "very smart man," adding that she "often wondered what he could have done had he been able to read and write."
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| Parton performing at Parnassus Books, Nashville, Tenn., during her tour with James Patterson for their book Run, Rose, Run. | |
"When I heard that Dolly Parton had died on Tuesday, my first thought wasn't about her music. It was about a child opening a book," Kristy High, who manages the Imagination Library for Cincinnati, Ohio's Hamilton County, wrote (for CNBC).
Many independent bookstores honored Dolly with, fittingly, books, including Secret World Books, Highland Park, Ill. ("a free used book to any kid 10 and under who comes in through Saturday"); and the Secret Bookshelf, Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland ("giving away 50 books to families from tomorrow to Saturday"). Plenty of options for donating were posted by booksellers like the Book Box, Draper, Utah ("all sales from our kids section will be donated to Imagination Library through the end of August").
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| At Subterranean Books, St. Louis, Mo. | |
Booksellers quickly created sales floor displays--which seemed more like memorials--featuring Dolly's books. You could find them at Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, Calif. ("We want to be sad, but honestly, it's hard to think about Dolly and feel sad. She is Joy."); Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, Minn. ("We are heartbroken and speechless."); Powell's Books, Portland, Ore. ("Dolly understood something simple and powerful: give a child a book, and you give them somewhere to go."); and many more.
Indie booksellers also flooded social media with heartfelt tributes to Dolly. Here's a sampling:
The Book & Cover, Chattanooga, Tenn.: "As a bookstore, Dolly Parton has been with us from the day we opened, part of the very first display we agonized over. As Southerners, she's been with us our whole lives, making sure we had books in our childhood libraries, making sure we knew being proud of who you are goes hand in hand with being kind, and making sure we knew one of the most important parts of living is knowing who you are and doing it on purpose."
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| At Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, Minn. | |
Rainy Day Books, Fairway, Kan.: "We lost one of the greats today.... We want to take a moment to thank Dolly Parton for her years of work ensuring that kids around the country can have access to books with her Imagination Library. She will be missed more than she could ever know."
Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, Ky.: "Dolly saw needs and took concrete actions to help. We would all be better served if we asked ourselves 'What Would Dolly Do?' and do what is in our power to help others. Thank you, Dolly, for everything. We will always love you."
Green Apple Books, San Francisco, Calif.: "Dolly Parton meant a lot to a lot of people. She did work beyond that of an entertainer.... We encourage you to do what you can in her honor now and always--be brave, be kind, shine on, and don't suffer fools!--but we are also putting a link in our bio to the Imagination Library if you feel like donating to their work."
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| Parton reading at the Library of Congress, which awarded the David M. Rubenstein Prize to her Imagination Library initiative. | |
Story Hollow Bookstore, Madisonville, Tenn.: "Thank you, Dolly... as a bookstore, there is one piece of Dolly's legacy that feels especially close to our hearts: she believed deeply in putting books into the hands of children.... Our Dolly shelves feel a little different today. They're a reminder that a little girl from the mountains of East Tennessee grew up to make the entire world a little more colorful, a little kinder, and a whole lot more hopeful."
Housing Works, New York City: "Rest in peace Dolly Parton. Beyond her extraordinary music, Dolly used her platform to uplift others through literacy initiatives, healthcare funding and advocacy, and support for LGBTQ+ communities. Her fundraising for HIV/AIDS research made her a champion of progress and cemented her legacy as a true advocate for our community."
Steamboat Books, Steamboat Springs, Colo.: "Dolly Parton's impact on music, literacy, and culture cannot be understated. Her Imagination Library Program inspires a profound love of reading, and we are forever in awe of her. We are absolutely devastated to hear of her passing. Rest well."
Main & Mountain Bookstore, Kernersville, N.C.: "Dolly believed deeply in the power of reading.... As a bookstore, we can't think of a more beautiful legacy. Because somewhere, there is a child who fell in love with reading because a book arrived in the mail with their name on it. A child who asked for one more story before bed. A child whose imagination became a little bigger because Dolly believed books belonged in their hands."