Literary Site Type: Reading Venue

With nine locations, Busboys and Poets is proud to be a venue that provides space and support for poets and spoken word performers and interested audiences. From the cozy atmosphere of the “Sunday Kind of Love” poetry series to the high intensity of the 11th Hour Poetry Slam, you will find a poetry event that will spark your creative side and leave you inspired. They have hosted several world renowned poets for readings, including Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, Alice Walker, Suheir Hammad, Rita Dove, Sonia Sanchez, Elizabeth Alexander and Denis Brutus.

The Twig Book Shop began its evolution in 1972. Currently located at the former Pearl Brewery on the Museum Reach of the Riverwalk, The Twig provides newly released books for children and adults as well as award-winning classics. The space at Pearl has become a venue for local and national poets and authors. The Twig makes books available for book clubs, schools, and conferences. The Texana collection makes the Twig a destination for history lovers near and far.

Kilgore Books opened its doors in 2008 and has used and new books with a rotating selection of literature, sci-fi/fantasy, philosophy, science, history, as well as comics. The shop also holds weekly events, including author signings, discussions with cartoonists, workshops, and book parties.

The Odyssey Bookshop was established in 1963, and serves both the general local community and the Mount Holyoke College community. With a goal of bringing readers and writers together, the bookstore’s literary event schedule includes more than one hundred events a year for adults and children—including author signings, book launch parties, book groups, workshops, and readings—which are attended by thousands of people annually.