Local booksellers build community during Banned Books Week

Michael Brophy knocked his balled fist against the cage door of a rare book store, sirening Red, the grumpy store owner, to the front of the shop.

Brophy was on the hunt for an original copy of “The Log from the Sea of Cortez” by John Steinbeck. Now the owner of Doyle’s Books in Fayetteville, Brophy collects more than old Steinbecks. Brophy and other local booksellers participated in an Adult Book Fair last week to encourage community building over reading. 

“Reading allows us to continue to stay open to new people, new ideas,” said Brophy.

The Salt City Market in Downtown Syracuse hosted an Adult Book Fair on Friday, Oct. 9, for National Banned Books Week. National Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom of reading and expression. This year’s theme, “Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights,” drew attention to the danger of censorship as book banning attempts escalate. 

The National Library Association documented 821 attempts to censor library books and other materials in 2024. Most censorship justifications argue against the inclusion of LGBTQ+ themes or characters, and topics of race and social justice. 

Alejandra Chaisson, who works at Buffalo Street Books in Ithaca, said the point of National Banned Books Week is to get people reading stories that are intentionally not just underrepresented, but intentionally shielded. 

“It’s your local institutions, your booksellers and librarians who really know when to care about literacy in a way that a lot of corporations like Amazon don’t,” said Chaisson. “Get involved in local organizations that care about literacy and make noise in your community about reading.”

Buffalo Street Books hosts community-based events in their reading room, including author talks, a drag story hour and book clubs. 

“I’m consistently surprised by the way that people will pick up a book and start talking to each other, and then will go off to the side and continue a conversation,” said Chaisson.

Photo by Remi Turner

Michael Brophy sells a copy of Stephen King’s “Under the Dome” at Salt City Market’s Adult Book Fair. This was Brophy’s first book fair since opening his shop three years ago.

The bookstores at the fair possessed two common themes: diverse specialities and community-oriented programming. From smut classics served by Lit Actually Bookshop, to rare author-signed novels from Doyle’s Books, the fair had something for everyone. 

Brophy said he tries to appeal to everyone when sourcing books. His only limitation – the small physical space of his shop. 

“It’s not up to me to put a filter on anything,” said Brophy. “My shop is objective. There’s not a bunch of posters telling you what to do or think, I let the books speak.”

Jeffrey Kern, a sophomore statistics and economics double major at Syracuse University, attended the adult book fair in search of a new fantasy read. 

Kern said he surrounds himself with friends, and family, who are fellow readers. 

“(Reading) is definitely a good way to connect with someone,” said Kern. “Not a whole lot of people read, so if you know that someone reads, especially if they read the same kind of things you do, that’s definitely an instant like, ‘oh my gosh, that’s so cool.’”

Kern’s father, also an avid reader, encouraged him to read fantasy-fiction author Terry Brooks. 

Thanks to his father’s recommendation, Kern said he was surprised to find that one of his friends had also read the same obscure 80’s fantasy book, “The Sword of Shanara.” 

“It was so crazy to me,” said Kern. “I was shocked.”

A big Stephen King fan, Kern left the fair with a thick copy of “Under the Dome” nestled under his arm from Doyle’s Books. 

Brophy has been selling rare books for over 30 years. As a full-time business development manager for an environmental technology company, book selling is Brophy’s side hustle. He opened his shop because he loves books, but he loves people more. 

“I like that I can meet new people, have great conversations, and everybody comes together over books,” said Brophy. “It’s really about connecting with people more than it is about books.”