MIDTOWN SCHOLAR
BOOKSTORE
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
When Eric Papenfuse and Catherine Lawrence, a
husband-and-wife team who met as grad students
at Yale University, wanted to open a bookstore
in Pennsylvania's capital city, many believed it
was a foolish endeavor. The declining Midtown
neighborhood simply didn't seem to be a good
fi t for a scholarly shop with a sizable collection of
academic works. But the naysayers were wrong.
The bookstore became a much-needed community
gathering place that hosted political debates,
forums on civic issues and art critique groups.
Today, peruse the 200,000-plus books, grab a slice
of sweet potato pie in the café and attend one of
those conversation-starting events for which the
store is known.
1302 N. Third St., (717) 236-1680,
midtownscholar.com
THE WILD DETECTIVES
DALLAS, TEXAS
"Do you think that Hemingway, Faulkner or Kerouac
would have become Hemingway, Faulkner and
Kerouac had they just sat behind their typewriters?"
asks The Wild Detective. "Conversation and human
interaction, those are the raw materials stories are
made of."
That's why you'll fi nd a bar in the middle of this
vibrant bookstore in Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood,
to promote the kind of socialization that makes for
good stories. With live music on the back porch,
author readings and books clubs in English and
Spanish, the scene here is always buzzing. Plus,
they've got some cool initiatives — order a book
through the shop, and they'll waive the shipping
charges and buy you a drink on the house.
314 W. Eighth St., (214) 942-0108,
thewilddetectives.com
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