“Share your love of books all the time. Don’t be afraid to sing the praises of the books you adore.”
-Jeremy Ellis, General Manager, Interabang Books
If you’ve been keeping track of our 2017 events calendar, you’ve probably noticed that we’ve been traveling quite a bit this year. One of our favorite places to visit is Dallas’ newest bookstore, Interabang Books. We’re thrilled to announce that Interabang will now be offering WLT members a 15% discount.
We spoke with Interabang Books General Manager Jeremy Ellis about his career as a bookseller and how Interabang came to be. Read the interview to learn more, and stop by Interabang soon!
Scribe: You’ve spent many years in the book world, working in top positions at well-known bookstores like BookPeople in Austin and Brazos Bookstore in Houston. Where did your bookstore journey begin, and what inspired you to work in bookstores?
Jeremy Ellis: Working in bookstores was a happy accident. I was in my early twenties and flailing. I had intended to become a famous stage actor, but was coming round to the notion that I might need something to pay the bills until that happened. So, I applied to be a bookseller at Taylors Books in Dallas. I had always loved books and reading, but hadn’t really considered I could make it my career, but I excelled and was quickly promoted. I had discovered my new calling.
Scribe: You opened Interabang with partners Nancy Perot and Lori Feathers. How did the idea to open Interabang come to fruition?
JE: I left Dallas in 2011 to take over the Brazos Bookstore in Houston. It was really a dream come true, but my better-half was never able to find a job there, so I always had one eye searching the horizon for a way that might take me back to the Metroplex. Initially, I had been trying to bring Brazos Bookstore to Dallas. As I was pursuing that course, I met Lori and then Nancy. In the end, the complexity of expanding a Houston neighborhood store to Dallas made the deal untenable, so we decided to launch a new brand.
Scribe: Tell us a little about the name of Interabang Books — what’s an interabang, for those who might not know, and why did you choose it as the name to represent your bookstore?
JE: Naming a bookstore is a challenging project. There were lots and lots (and lots and lots) of ideas proposed. Frankly, most of them were pretty dull. But the pressure was on. We needed to make an announcement, so I made a new list of printmaker and book terminology. Interrobang was on that list… An interrobang is an exclamation point and a question mark in a single punctuation mark. We thought that an icon that represented curiosity and excitement was perfect for the bookstore. In the end, we chose the secondary spelling – interabang – to distinguish ourselves from the mark.
Scribe: Here at the Writers’ League, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one Texas-related book that has come out within the past year that you couldn’t put down?
JE: I’ve been revisiting WATT MATTHEWS OF LAMBSHEAD by photographer Laura Wilson. This is a third edition with a terrific introduction by David McCullough, and a new foreword by Anne Wilkes Tucker. The photographs are an amazing view into a vanishing lifestyle and Western culture. The new edition from the Texas State Historical society is really gorgeous as well. I’m looking forward to reading THE LINE BECOMES A RIVER by Francisco Cantu (Riverhead). I’ve glanced at the first few pages and it looks amazing. It’s published in February of 2018 and he’ll be touring across Texas. Go out and meet him and support your local bookstore!
Scribe: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring booksellers?
JE: Share your love of books all the time. Now that everyone carries a media studio in their pocket, we all have the ability to trumpet our favorite books directly to the authors and publishers. Don’t be afraid to sing the praises of the books you adore. The more you do it, the stronger your reach and influence.
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Thanks, Jeremy!
To take advantage of our discount with Interabang Books and other benefits, consider joining the Writers’ League. Questions? Call our offices at 512-499-8914 or visit writersleague.org.
