Tucked away down Main Street is Fitz Books, a local bookstore still chugging away. The store is settled in an old building with its address splayed out in old type script. The inside opens up to reveal a large warehouse space with white walls, hardwood floors and an ornate tin ceiling. The walls are lined with bookshelves packed with both familiar and unfamiliar authors. The floor boasts a line of tables with even more books displayed on them, and the back half is dedicated to reading chairs and a soon-to-be cafe.
The store is run by owner Aaron Bartlay, a native Buffalonian who’s been running the bookstore for five years now. Bartlay started the store at its first location in downtown Buffalo before moving to the current location at 1462 Main St. last year. The store has always “benefited from building a community here around poetry, writing, the arts in general, having good art on the walls and being a place where people seem to like to gather,” Bartlay said.
There is so much to be gained from reading and a love of books, but there is also much at stake.
“The culture of reading and books is under attack and in jeopardy that there is somewhat of a mission… to build reading culture back. Fighting for the book is important to people, to human development, to knowledge, to truth,” Bartlay explained.
With the support of his family and friends, Bartlay has created a place for artists and creatives from all different backgrounds to come together to collaborate and celebrate each other's work.
“We’ve definitely already seen in our four and a half years that people get a lot of connection out of it. Some of that is traditional, just like an actual business, like a connection for a job or connection for maybe collaborating on an artwork, but it’s also just community connection and feeling like a sense of belonging” Bartlay said.
But how exactly does one go about creating that sense of connection of finding your own people, where you belong? For many, including Bartlay it starts at home,
“I grew up on Main Street. It’s been really great to be back, to be at the center of the city the last few months as we settled in here. Reconnect with people… and connect with a lot of memories that I have like way, way back, right here." Bartlay said.
Finding your place in the world is no easy feat, but sometimes that place is creating one for others to find themselves.
To see more of Fitz Books, check out their instagram page: @fitz_books_and_waffels
Marina Noack the senior arts editor can be reached at marina.noack@ubspectrum.com.
