Detroit. And at that time, we were then going to have events. And then in 2002, we joined a collective the three independent stores surety space. And that in 2013, we moved into the space that we are in now. And this is all in midtown detroit. So how far from the downtown area and detroit are you. About eight or 9 miles. Downtown is one district in detroit and then midtown is the next one after that in years ago, this was created like another part of the city. And that is another 7 miles beyond us. But we really are in the heart of the cultural life of the city with the universities, the library, the main library and the health centers, and a lot of galleries and africanamerican museums and historical exams so were in a wonderful cultural area of the city. I always call it the heart of the city. Host just a couple of blocks off of woodward avenue if people in detroit it. Janet the invention of the training goes up and down the road. If its 1 mile, and that 1 mile, i mean, one block so woodward avenue and you were right with us. Host allison, waslike for you. We had to get used to our doors shut because of the covid19 situation. So we had to go into the unfamiliar ground of online selling. So we have a website with booksellers on online credit we have been packing things up. And just this week we were able to do curbside. So theyve been able to pick up books. Allison yes, a big dropoff in business. Host will you be able to survive. Janet blood yes. We local like the future and we are learning and fighting the people are being able to get online. We are able to do our movies. It is just like the book that you read spent online versus coming into the start. So really do think that it will be fine. It. Host i will ask you both to lean and so that we can see your full faces. There you go. What is new release tuesday. It. Janet every tuesday the publishers release particular books. And we celebrate them at the book birthday. Is that first day they came out in the first opportunity to purchase. Host go ahead janet. Janet those other things that she puts it all up on instagram and for example yesterday we heard about the pulitzer prizewinning. So we had three of them in the source and we really excited about that. And the other two. So we certainly have had a special day and and created boundaries and people have are looking forward to that. Host is source a general books already have a specialty. It. Janet primarily husband nonfiction bookstore rated we had that for 30 years. Now our categories, the Culture Health and wellbeing. Books about women rated physical spiritual and no the arts. And we repeat this for the Young Readers as well. There are a lot of wonderful nonfiction books for Young Readers these days. Were glad of that. So were sort of a boutique bookstore that. Host in this past month, heavier customers been asking for books about pandemics, david and allie or gina, books like that in. Janet one book in particular, i do want to get her name wrong but the book is called pandemic and her name is sonia shaw. So if sold quite a few of those. Weve been advertising them online site. But we havent been a lot of things. One thing that we have had to Pay Attention to is turned itself books are in the store. We actually brought than before the hit really happened to be sold a lot. Host book tv is the coverage on sonia shaw talking about a book. And heres a portion of it that we want to show you. Janet great. But then in the 1940s we started out in the specific, chemical years. In penicillin, et. Created to hold out by a establishment the became extremely powerful. And potent by curing disease very effectively. And we stood symptom gave over Public Health to our biomedical establishment. So, we have outbreaks of contagious disease. We dont even look for the risks. We wait for those epidemics until we get sick and then we hope, that we can throw sufficient vaccines and drugs at it to make it go away. And they can work in some cases. But what i am trying to say in this book is that is really not sufficient new diseases. Because when these pathogens come up, we dont have the vaccines all made up. We dont have the drugs. And but these things can spread exponentially. So we are talking about exponential growth of untreatable disease. Host and that was just a little bit from sonja shaws pandemic. You can watch the whole program at booktv. Org. Janet and allison one of the books have been selling the last month pretty. Janet just today, this is another feature we had. Click on that we had a mothers day special coming up. And we have copies of the new paperback edition of the world according tos fanny davis. She talks about her being here in detroit as a library and down the street. And how much enthusiasm we had. We had a room full of people. That was very exciting. We had just gotten the order, for the book for mothers day. So that will be selling very well. We have sold a lot prior to that even. And of course with a special that we have in this one. So thats been happening a lot. What else. Alysonhost when did that come out. Janet about a year or so ago. This is another paper copy. Host who is danny davis. Janet she was the mother of Bridget Davis. And she was a woman military detroit took in the numbers. So the world according to fanny davis, my mothers life and the numbers. In detroit numbers. Speech of one of the numbers. Janet the lottery. Informal. I read this in her book. An informal economy. Im not really sure about the racetrack maybe and a few other things pretty and there were people, and she said is not only africanamerican people but they were people who took in the numbers from the neighborhood. And when the lottery numbers, when the money came in, people got in the newark als. I read a while ago that someone praised him for doing this book because it is a noble people who had lived in a time when people were a lot more difficult. In fanny davis had met on the american dream. She bedded in a way that helped the economy. Its a wonderful memoir by Bridget Davis it was a journalist. These things are written down. So she talked to people, she talked to relatives. She was the youngest in the family. So if such a human story. In such an american story. We really love this book a lot. We are excited to have this one. Host is not considered a legal activity. Janet according to the law it was illegal but alone take came a lottery. So much of it mustve been great. [laughter]. The informal economy. And i think we can like that to today. Although people are going to out do things that is not the regular expected line of work that people would be in. And i was not recognized pretty sick yes, there was an element of the underground. So many people the africanamerican community, and really other immigrants had contact with this kind of informal economy. So this is one of the good ones. Host and janet, did you ever play the numbers. The old enough to remember that janet i had an uncle who was born to be numbers at his house. People really didnt talk about it a whole lot because is going up talk so to speak. But remember though that people saying, oh soandso picked in the numbers. And i remember hearing how he was sort of listen in, hearing about the relative who did very well in the numbers they were able to buy a house which people did at that time to or for their family. So i always remembered that. That was really good and those children who came out in the family now, are very accomplished along with their their children to. His long trail of things that happened that allowed for people to grow really so that is good. Speech of we get to that, we covered the book, the world according to fanny davis right and heres just a little portion of it. My son, was ten years old. This was nine years ago. He was ten years old i looked in a photograph of my mother on the nightstand and he said to me, mom, what was she like. And i said, though she was amazing but my heart was breaking. Because thats when it hit me. I thought oh my gosh, i have done such a good job of keeping my moms secret that i have kept her secret from my own children. In about right then, this is crazy. Whatever concerns or fears reservations i have had, it is time to stop. And within a week, i got in an airplane and flew to detroit, sat down across from my moms remaining sister who at that point was celebrating her 80th birthday. And this was my moms youngest sister that she who adored her so much. I just thought, is a person, his permission i need because my own family never talks about the thought of revealing what my mother did for a living. It was not about. So here i am asking her this really scary thing. I was so nervous. So i sent out florence, is wondering you know, im thinking about writing about fanny like, like everything. And i just wondered what you thought read and she looked at me and she said, health, i hope you tell that story. [laughter]. Host if you would like to watch the entire program, the world according to fanny davis, you can go to booktv. Org with available on our website. Allison jones turning, a little closer to your mother, so we can see you guys. What is another book that has been selling during this quarantine. Alyson profit by taylor. This book was just in the nose just last evening. She was a finalist for the 2024 pulitzer prizewinning. This book is exploring the real estate practices are they exploiting of they came even after the discrimination was man. It is a book of many awards. So in 2019, who finalist in the National Book award. It can also, in 2020, this book one of price for africanamerican intellectual history society. Host and that is another when the book to be covered. Heres a portion of it. And i do want rest pronounce it. Heres a portion. Summa perhaps we should think about what it means to live in a society that hinges social memo mobility and a decent quality of life on the ability to own a home. Evie dont own one, then you are on your own. What does it mean when 40 percent of the number of black homeowners keep dropping precipitously because of rape is him and Real Estate Industry but also because of higher rates of underemployment and unemployment, poverty, racial gap. All of that leads to a situation where the number of black homeowners keep dropping precipitously. And so we have a society where you have access to learning this asset, determines your quality of life. Owning a home determines for so many people, whether you can finance your childs college education. Whether you have this financial means or financial crisis. In the quality of what your retirement baby. If you have a retirement at all. This is all hinged on do you have a home. So 60 percent of the people are not included in the conversation. For the 40 percent who are, what is it mean for them. It functions in a completely and wholly different way than it does for white people. Black houses viewed as having less value. If black hoods are viewed as having less value. So even if you were lucky enough to have somehow stumbled upon home ownership, is still does not function well. In the same financially beneficial way that the white people. Because the Real Estate Market over the entire notion of health value is accumulated, calculated and created completely tied up and racist notions about who black people are. And the market itself, the socially construct. Speech of so janet, what have your customers have been saying to you. Janet they have been supportive. And so kind to us. Weve got people even making contributions to us that we did not ask for. They mailed to us. Im just so overwhelmed by that. It makes me feel very emotional. It tells me that we have trillion but in ourselves in the community. And our model has been to serve the community and even through this time tomorrow now, i want to serve the community. Its been good to us. And through Electronic Devices and media and phone calls. Weve infant been in touch with people who do we didnt know in other states. They look to suffer Something Like that. Our experience has been shocking to say the least. But it has been fully rewarding because people have wanted to help us disport us. Host a lot of bookstores are Holding Virtual author events. Have you explored that braided. Janet last friday the hundred first voyage into online. These are two young men who went to university of michigan. As part of virtual america. They began to explore, what is going on in detroit. And then write a book called the peoples history of detroit. They were young millennial types. There were two young white boys braided and they were trying to work hard in what was going on. And now they have phds at the university of southern california. In santa barbara. It we were in my dining room talking in california. It was 1913 into the present. Host what did you learn about detroit from the book. Alyson we are both natives. Janet i guess when we are looking into things that are coming up, we found it. It was due to come out on may day. We thought it would be very interesting if it was a made a book to come out. Because they do talk about the history of the workers of detroit as well as the work of the world. Host if you could move in just a little but theyre so we can see all of you. Not a problem. What is it been like with the publishers and the booksellers association. Had they been helpful during this period. Alyson they have been helpful. The publishers have really supported us. They are really trying to help us get through. Thithe american bookstore appropriations, they would have virtual meet ups to help cheer us up. And they help to spread resources and sharing guests, practices among the industry that could help us at this time. Host there is a new website called bookshop. Org. Have you taken part in that and hope. Janet theres so much happening, that we cant do everything in one spree we signed up for it. We had not had time to look at it because we been so hardworking at what we have now. We talked to some of the other booksellers. Theyve used very successfully. Others have as well. Sometimes its a combination of the store, on the bookshop and with the audio. Opportunities to or by using it. I think it is a good thing. I think that all of us are amazed with it. And amazed with all of the venues. Host do you have a plan to reopen your physical store. Alyson our governor is thinking this could change braided were definitely going to have to open differently. Using whatever standards, is safest for our customers and herself. Janet and we wanted know how we can serve our customers best in order that things, that we have come up with is that we are wanting to have a special gift for all of those people who have maybe field online. Almost 200 sales individual cells for people during this and given a big thank you at the time. And they have been thinking about selling some, under 900 square feet nor store. So we been thinking about having an appointment based for some of our very special loyal customers. And invite them to come with the invitation just really want to know or in the store. Because we have people say how i miss browsing in the store pretty so we thought we would do something little bit like that. And after that, we maybe have our hours, we dont have as many people coming but letting people know. It will be different. It will not be the same as it was. And you want to abide by the governors rules and regulations. Host when i visited your books for last summer, i met some of your employees. Have you had to leave them off at this point. Janet yes. We put them on temporary leave. They both been able to acquire unemployment. We have to laugh. We have all the people. [laughter]. All the people. So they are good. [laughter]. I did take into consideration the ppe. I kind of leaned back from that because if the situation where we dont have a lot of employees. In order to have in place we need sales. Its hard to predict what the sales will be. So this time has taught me a lot about the financial aspect of the business this time. Weve been very grateful to receive a small grant for my local place. It helped us to pay are in of the march bill. We still have a couple of more. And then, repeat applications to other grants. So were sort of flying along. And were doing very well. Host before we close out. One more book from each one of you. Alyson i want to recommend gretchen book, driving. This book is change the life of africanamericans. The book was used for a pbs documentary. Call driving while black. It is a wonderful read. She also reads her own family history. So it is very interesting. Host i believe she teaches in upstate new york braided book tv has covered her as well. Heres a portion of that book. s of the book is the most longlasting of the African American travel guide and the reason it was a long lasting was because of their relationship with standard oil. Which is exxon or formally esso gas station. It was owned by standard oil and they saw africanamericans as a market braided and they had enlightened selfinterest. They thought that these people have money and we would like to get some of it. They had a policy of nondiscrimination. I was in the bathroom at the gas stations pretty so africanamericans very often preferred esso gasoline. They gave away the green book. And that helped victor great to make is green book successful. In the idea book was based on jewish travel guides predict green light and is very first issue of the green book, that is jewish brother gave him information for the travel guide. If they were a Jewish American and you are traveling, you also needed to be concerned about places, very often if you call the hotel into their name was ruben, you would find that suddenly they had no rooms available. Some jewish newspapers and guides, told you places you can stay in places where you could observe the dietary laws. Green believed that travel was fatal to prejudice. I believe in people and im across the country would help prejudice this bear is. If from the innocents abroad, travel is a real prejudice pretty picture green adopted that. Host those Gretchen Duckett about her book driving while black. The entire event is on booktv. Org rated okay janet, close us out. Janet this is goliath. If the brothers that because when we were at our winter institute, we can make a choice to go to washington for symposium on antitrust monopoly. When a wonderful panel there. They give us a stray, 100 year history of monopoly power and democracy. Right now were experiencing this with this pandemic. I took a pandemic for us to see all of this going on. We talked about the early monopoly of amp. What we did about it along the way. I think his book is very important right now for people to read. Theres so much questioning about who owns what and why should they. So thats my recommendation. Host was the author of goliath. Max stoler. Host if people want to get in contact with the or perhaps purchase a book, what is the website. Booksellers online. Com. Source booksellers online. Com. As well as instagram and facebook. Janet and allison, coowners of source booksellers. Thank you for joining us on book tv. Janet we love you and we love cspan. Thank you. Watching book tv and cspan2. Book to become a television for serious readers. Welcome everybody and thank you for joining us. This is very exciting for me because im a huge fan of eric larson