Quirky Columbia Bookstores

Okay, it's my first Vox assignment, to photograph two of the many quirky bookstores around town. And since it's Vox, I'm thinking that it should be more artsy than a picture for the newspaper.

First up, Get Lost Books on 9th Street. It was a rainy day, so business was slow. Here's the shots that I captioned:


Bookshop owner, Meghan Dilliss, pauses briefly from work at Get Lost Bookshop, on Friday, August 28, 2009. Dillis opened the shop partly because she wanted to bring back the community bookstore to Ninth Street and The District.


A hand-written sign delineates the "History and Criticism of the Arts" section of Get Lost Bookshop, located at the intersection of Broadway and Ninth. Owner Meghan Dilliss chooses her books by personal and customer preference: "I like to carry things that I would read." Photo taken on Friday, August 28, 2009.

And then I went on to Rock Bottom Comics on Walnut Street.


Rock Bottom Comics, at 1029 E. Walnut St., #101, has been part of Columbia since August 1973. According to employee Robert Sieli, while they have regulars, they service the entire community. Rock Bottom Comics offers comic books, graphic novels, collectible figurines, memorabilia and Magic cards. Photo taken on Friday, August 28, 2009.


Graphic novels line one of the walls of Rock Bottom Comics, 1029 E. Walnut St., on Friday, August 28, 2009. Rock Bottom Comics offers a wide selection of novels, comic books, as well as collectible figurines and Magic cards.


Caleb Prewitt, 26 (right) shows Karen Marshall, 24 (left) the latest artistic work of Art Spiegelman, In the Shadow of No Towers, while they browse titles at Rock Bottom Comics, 1029 E. Walnut St., #101, on Friday, August 28, 2009. Prewitt enjoys helping others discover titles: "I'm a cultural imperialist, Prewitt said, I like people to like what I like." Prewitt has been collecting comics since he was 10, but now reads more out of loyalty to the authors. "I was a geeky teenager and had to have something to occupy my time."