Featured on: Los Angeles Times
L.A.’s independent bookstores reckon with diversity (or the lack of it)
Tia Chucha’s in the San Fernando Valley, which specializes in Xicano and Latinx literature, reports selling more books online today, with its physical location closed, than it did in-store before the pandemic. Rosalilia Mendoza, the manager and the store’s only employee, has struggled to keep up with demand while finding literature beyond the bestseller lists that advances the principles of Black Lives Matter. The store prides itself on featuring local and self-published authors, offering an important avenue for lesser-known writers to connect with audiences. Of particular help to her was James Fugate, the owner of Eso Won Books, a 40-year-old independent bookstore in Leimert Park that’s been doing very brisk business lately. Fugate’s recommendations and advice have “been really helpful in expanding our list,” she says.
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This is only an excerpt from the Los Angeles Times article which featured Tia Chuchas's Centro Cultural & Bookstore, July 16, 2020.
