Linda Bubon will be playing more golf, a lot more golf. Sure, golf has been prescribed by her physical therapist as she rehabilitates from a spinal cord injury, but golf is just yet another sporting passion for the Chicagoan who played volleyball for the predominantly gay Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( CMSA ), including beach volleyball for the past 10 years, plus bowling and more.
Golf is exercising all of the right muscles, she's been told, "and I'm playing better than I was last year," Bubon said, smiling.
Ann Christophersen, meanwhile, will play more golf, too, but she also has a long list of books that she wants to read, and now has the time to do so. Plus, Christophersen wants to do some light research, "have my mind opened to new things," and learn more about Chicago—the history of the city, the architects, the buildings, and more.
Both have the time to now do as they please—and certainly have earned the stress-free, duty-free, carefree days in their 60s. They were the longtime co-owners of Women & Children First, the independent bookstore in Andersonville that they officially sold in July.
"I have felt, especially for the last 10 years, that we need to be this well-known, niche bookstore … and one way to have sustainable income and sales is by having Women & Children First truly become a [local] destination," Bubon said. "The store has become a destination for LGBT people, families, book-lovers and certainly for feminists."
Though the two are stepping away from their ownership role, each still be work at the store, limited, for another year or two. Their images soon will appear on the walls of Women & Children First, among other milestones of in-store moments and more as a legacy is being created.
Bubon and Christophersen definitely deserve this honor, and more.
"We saw feminism as part of a larger movement—to social justice," Christophersen said, talking about the store. "To have a place where people just felt comfortable, taken care of; that certainly is/was part of our legacy. Our legacy is creating that place and maintaining it, and then having something to hand over after 35 years that can continue on into the future."
Lynn Mooney and Sarah Hollenbeck, both of whom previously worked at Women & Children First, are the new co-owners. There were eight legitimate offers for Bubon and Christophersen to consider, including that from Mooney and Hollenbeck.
Mooney and Hollenbeck no doubt were the favorites to win the bid for Women & Child First.
"They have complimentary personalities," Bubon said of the new owners. "Sarah's youthfulness is way on their side."
Both former owners said the selling process has been anxiety-filled, dating back to last October or November. Now, it's wide spread congratulations and well-wishes.
To help the selection process for future owners, Bubon and Christophersen each compiled a list of pros and cons of potential future owners. "Frankly, we really were overwhelmed and impressed by the level of commitment that these potential buyers exhibited. Enormous enthusiasm, all of them," Bubon said.
Ultimately, two qualities stood out as most-important to Bubon and Christophersen: book-selling experience and a feminist commitment.
Of the final three bids, only two had book-selling experience, Christophersen said.
Bubon and Christophersen said the in-store appearances of high-profile authors, such as President Jimmy Carter, "were wonderful," and thus neither could select one that stood out more than others.
But for Bubon, she said the most memorable day was in July 1990 when they moved the bookstore from Halsted Street to its present location over a heat-filled weekend. About 75 volunteers, mainly women, aided their move. Other volunteers fed the crew of movers.
"To think that, at the time, we had been in business for only about 11 years, and yet we could rally that many people to help us, that meant so much," Bubon said.
Christophersen added, "Thinking back [on that move], it was sort of a way for people to be part of the community; it showed that this was truly their bookstore."
Bubon said working at the store for a few days after officially selling it led to a true sense of "jubilation and happiness." When she told her book group about the sale on Tuesday, 24 hours before the sale news broke in the Windy City Times, which has been meeting at the store for about 25 years, they were thrilled, naturally.
The two had been considering selling Women & Children First for two years, and this was after the economic pitfall of 2007. "I didn't really know if we would be working forever, or going out of business [due to the economic downfall], or even able to sell the store," Bubon said.
Thankfully business turned around over the last three years.
From The Beginning
It all started Nov. 10, 1979—the grand opening of Women & Children First, then located on Armitage Street.
"It was so much fun," Bubon said. "Businesses open have a 'soft opening.' Well, we didn't know that concept [at the time], and it was an adventure opening right around the Christmas rush."
Bubon was working her waitress job the night before Windy & Children First initially opened. Christophersen was frantically cleaning the store late into the night, perhaps the morning.
"It was a late night," Christophersen said, laughing.
Bubon, the night before the store opened, waited on Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas—and she even invited them to attend the bookstore grand opening.
"Marlo right away replied, 'I hope you have my book [in stock at your store.]' I remember telling Ann that we had to get her book because they might stop by," Bubon said.
For the first few years that the business was open, all money that came in was put back into the business to help it grow.
After four years open, Bubon quit waitressing on the side.
After seven years open, she had a child—and she was certain the store would survive and thrive, even in her absence.
"In my way of thinking, that's when we reached a sense of stability," Bubon said.
So what about the store name?
"We kept saying, what we wanted to focus on was women's and children's literature, but that's [a] boring [name]. Then it popped out, Women & Children First," said Bubon who, with a smile, took credit for adding the word "First" to their name debate.
Both certainly are happy that the new owners announced they will keep the name, but Christophersen said it was logical, to their advantage. "We have a good local, regional and national reputation," she said. "It was almost a prudent business decision."
Christophersen said she'll miss the people most, those she interacted with on a daily basis. Plus, "I like thinking about the store," she said. "We love books. We were readers and feminists—that's the reason we opened the store."
Bubon spoke highly of the relationships built through the store—from customers and staff to book-sellers, and everyone in between. "The fact that you've met with, or known, somebody for 25, 30, 35 years … that's a lot, a long time."
