About seven years ago at Book Expo America in New York, I met a tiny dynamo named Aurora Anaya-Cerda. I remember that meeting vividly because we talked about our mutual love of books and Latino literature, the Latino Book Awards ceremony we’d just come from and her determination to build a bookstore serving an underserved community. She stayed in my head long after my plane had touched ground at LAX.
We’ve kept in touch. Not like friends do, but occasionally, I’d get newsletters, news of her activities. When she couldn’t open the brick and mortar store she’d wanted, she found another way. She started selling books online and literally handselling them via her newsletters. I kept hearing about her. She found ways to be relevant, connected and always, she championed her bookstore. I admired that.
I found her on Twitter and follow her. I’ve been watching her stream. She’s as determined as ever to open that store in East Harlem and this time, she’s got a darned good chance of doing it. She’s managed to raise a little over $33,000 of the $40,000 needed to open her store and I want to help. I can’t help with the extra money she needs, but I can ask everyone that reads this blog to donate a few dollars and pass on to everyone they know. This community of book lovers can do it. We NEED our bookstores. We need them. Our kids need them.
So donate a dollar or five or ten. If you have a hundred to spare, donate that. Let’s help Aurora get her store. She is the most fiesty champion of the written word, you’ll ever meet and if you love books, support Aurora and her dream of a bookstore. There are only five days left to raise the money and you can donate here.
About Aurora:
Aurora Anaya-Cerda is the owner of La Casa Azul Bookstore, an online bookstore that promotes Latino literature. Since the launch of the virtual bookstore, Aurora has established the Barrio Book Club, in collaboration with El Museo del Barrio in New York City. August 2011 marked the 3rd anniversary of the Barrio Book Club, a gathering place for lovers of Latino literature. La Casa Azul Bookstore also travels with local writers and hosts reading and book talks at cultural venues in New York.
