Shelf Space - Books not bombs

What do the war on Iraq and Atlanta's warmer weather have in common?

Both of them are bad for business for Richard Mintz.

"The war is absolutely killing us," says Mintz, the owner of the quirky-cool Peachtree Highway bookstore in Candler Park.

Mintz opened the cozy shop six months ago, after first launching the business as a mail-order catalog in 2001. Though Peachtree Highway's ostensible focus is on Southern literature — and stacks of Southern-fried titles certainly abound — the store also offers a wealth of children's books, gift titles and an eclectic CD lineup. Add to that the pre-requisite handwritten signs found in all mom-and-pop bookshops, and the tiny space just swims in character.

Traffic has slowed down since the arrival of spring and the start of the Iraqi conflict, but Mintz says the store had an outstanding Christmas and has been embraced by the neighborhood. It's no wonder; finding a locally owned independent bookstore in this city is like hailing a cab in Baghdad.

Mintz left a technology consulting job to dive into the book business, and despite the current economic downturn, he says he's happy he took the plunge.

"It's a hard business, but I love it," he says.

In other local independent bookstore news, Tall Tales Book Shop in Toco Hills is breathing a sigh of relief these days. Last fall the store launched a letter-writing campaign asking its landlord not to lease a nearby space to big-box behemoth Borders. The tactic apparently worked, and a new Office Depot will be moving in instead. "My customers just went totally out of their minds," says owner Marlene Zeiler. "They were fabulous."

And after 10 years on Cheshire Bridge Road, the Science Fiction & Mystery Book Shop has fled north to 2558 Shallowford Road, near I-85 and Chamblee. "Traffic's a lot better here," store owner Mark Stevens says of the new digs, "but with the current climate being what it is, holding your own is about the best you can hope for."

Shelf Space is a weekly column on books and Atlanta's literary scene.

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