It's hard to believe, but it's been a quarter of a century since Ann Christophersen and Linda Bubon opened Women & Children First in a small storefront on Armitage Avenue. Now located in Andersonville, the business has grown into the world's largest feminist bookstore. Along the way, Christophersen and Bubon have publicized many writers who otherwise would not have been seen, heard, or read in large bookstore chains.
You would think that running a business would demand all their time, but these co-owners have done so much more. In the 1980s, they were both appointed to Mayor Harold Washington's first commission on gay and lesbian issues; Bubon even juggled duties and activism while being pregnant. After her son was born, she concentrated more on children's books and issues and storytelling. Christophersen has been on a gay and lesbian task force; been a liaison to the lesbian community for Dawn Clark Netsh during her campaign for governor; and has just completed a two-year term as president of the American Booksellers Association. During her presidency, she developed many facets of BookSense, a national marketing plan. To show how far they have come, the partners have been named among the 100 most powerful women in the Chicago arts community by the Chicago Sun-Times.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the store's opening, Christophersen and Bubon have had three months of events that will culminate in The Bookstore Bash and Benefit, which will be held Nov. 20 at The Swedish Museum, 5211 N. Clark. The bash will feature dancing, live entertainment, and a silent auction.
Windy City Times recently spoke with the women separately about everything from the plight of independent bookstores to the meaning of feminism. Ever the multitasker, Bubon even answered questions while putting together a display.
Windy City Times: What would you say your individual strengths are?
Linda Bubon: I'm very much a lateral thinker and multitasker. That's a strength—but I'm also very scattered; it's sometimes hard for me to zero in and focus on things. Ann is really focused. Those are nice complementary skills.
I'm very outgoing and theatrical; I love introducing authors, storytelling, and things like that. Ann has learned to speak in public very well; she's very eloquent and leads meetings very well.
WCT: What does feminism mean to you?
LB: It's a world where women are counted ... their work and their voices are counted. It's a world view where women matter.
WCT: It's a shame that it has to be a separate philosophy.
LB: Yes, it is. However, the truth is that women's voices are discounted. We've only had the [right to] vote for about 80 years in this country; in other countries, some women still can't vote and aren't even educated.
WCT: Who are your favorite [writers]?
LB: [Smiles] I love the work of Margaret Atwood; it think it's intellectually challenging, stimulating, and rewarding to my literary sensibilities. I love Virginia Woolfe. I love [some of] Toni Morrison's work; I've read Beloved three times. I've read all of Jane Hamilton's books and I absolutely love Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres. Ruth Ozeki has a couple great political novels. I have many, many favorites.
WCT: Now, Ann, back in 1979, did you see the bookstore thriving in 25 years or was it more of a one-day-at-a-time thing?
Ann Christophersen: It was probably more the latter. We started with the notion that there was a need for a store like ours. Basically, we have evaluated that need every five years and have continued to conclude that there still is a need.
WCT: Do you have any mixed feelings that a store like this is still needed?
AC: Oh, sure. When one's involved in what could be seen as a political movement, you hope that things move more quickly than they do. However, when you look back, those movements had big goals—and many haven't been reached yet.
WCT: Is it true that there was no cash register when the store first opened?
AC: Yes. That's one way we laugh at ourselves. Actually, though, we had receipt books and everything else ... except a place to keep the money. We borrowed a cash drawer from a friend of ours. Back in those days, a cash drawer was all you needed.
WCT: What are the best and worst parts about running a business?
AC: The best part is that you get to do what you want to do. We get to carry the books we want, promote the writers who were inadequately promoted before feminist bookstores existed, and hire who we want to hire. We're seriously guided by our mission—and no one stands in the way of that. We work very diligently to establish ourselves as a place where publishers want to send their writers and customers continue to find books that speak to them.
The hard part is that there's no walking out at 6 o'clock; the job is always with you. You want to keep your business healthy—so you have to work a lot of hours. Another difficult thing is that the buck always stops with you. There's nowhere else to turn. We can't control things like the economy and other large forces that affect our business, but there are many other things that we can and do control.
WCT: How big a threat have large bookstore chains been to independents?
AC: Huge. Just huge. In the early '90s, there were about 5,000 independent members in the American Booksellers Association and now there are about 1,800.
WCT: So underground writers are being squeezed out because there aren't as many outlets for their work.
AC: Yes, that's certainly true. Most feminist presses have closed their doors. In the mid-'70s into the '90s, you had these presses paying attention to lesbian and feminist writers who otherwise wouldn't have seen the light of day. Bookstore chains killed a lot of independent publishers: chain stores would order books and send most of them back for credit. Independent publishers couldn't survive; generally, they don't have a huge margin to afford the loss of, say, 20,000 books.
WCT: You've had hundreds of people speak and sign at this store. Do you have any favorites?
AC: Oh, sure. One of the great things is that there are a lot of discoveries. There have been surprise favorites.
One of my favorite writers is Alice Munro. She doesn't tour much but she read here on one of her limited [runs]. I was just thrilled.
I also love Margaret Atwood. She's been to the store several times. She's just really interesting and witty; she's a terrific speaker and thinker.
Jeanette Winterson is also great; we did an event with her at The Swedish Museum. [Poet] Adrienne Rich has done readings here. Dorothy Allison is also wonderful—she's a great supporter of independent bookstores. Lastly, I love Sarah Waters and Emma Donoghue, two great contemporary lesbian writers.
We've had about 2,500 speakers here. I didn't realize that worked out the way it did—2,500 speakers in 25 years.
WCT: How chaotic was the Hillary Clinton signing?
AC: It wasn't chaotic at all. One of the great things about that was how smoothly it went. We got calls for days and weeks afterwards about how well it went. It was incredible; the line went down Farragut and then north up Glenwood—and the weather worked out in our favor.
WCT: What does feminism mean to you?
AC: It means a lot to me. It means actively working to support women's rights, perspective, history, creativity, contributions, and their place in the world. It means looking to see how policies affect women's lives. It means shifting from a view in which men's views were [revered] to something more equal. It means respecting all women, regardless of their circumstances.
WCT: Could you talk about your Nov. 20 gala?
AC: It's actually two things. We wanted to have a big party that was fun for people; there will be live entertainment, dancing, literary games, and a silent auction featuring writers' memorabilia. However, we're also using the occasion to raise money to help support our programming. We've set up the Women's Voices Fund; all the proceeds will go to help our program series for the next year.
There are ticket prices that we think are cheap [$40]. However, there are also sponsorship levels [such as the Willa Cather Circle] so that people who are so moved can support lesbian programs, the children's storytime, or something else.
WCT: Do you see a point and time where independent bookstores will rebound?
AC: All I can say is that I really hope so. The remaining bookstores are working as creatively as possible to stabilize things and to provide chances for other independent stores to [emerge]. A recent study showed that the way money circulates in a community is impaired if chains, rather than independent businesses, are involved [see related story]. Hopefully, people will pay attention to that study and realize how important it is for local businesses to stay in an area. It [distresses] me to imagine a universal destruction of what gives an area a unique identity and a sense of community.
Women & Children First is located at 5233 N. Clark; the phone number is 齅) 769-9299 and the web site is www.womenandchildrenfirst.com .
