Greenwood Literary Landmark Returns: The re-opening of Couth Buzzard Books

Couth Buzzard Books

It’s coming—the long drizzly doldrums of Seattle winter that send Northwesterns scurrying to curl up with a warm caffeinated beverage and a good book. Luckily, Greenwood residents will soon have another refuge in which to hibernate. Come mid-November, the re-imagined Couth Buzzard Books will open in its new location: 8310 Greenwood Ave.

Greenwood is familiar territory to Couth Buzzard—their previous site was just ten blocks south on the same street. They lost their lease in that building, however, when the next-door Ken’s Market grocery store expanded. The old Couth Buzzard Books closed its doors in September 2008.

Bookstore Seattle

Now, after a yearlong closure, Couth Buzzard is rising like a phoenix. And this time, there will be pastries.

“We’re going to have a café, a sitting area in the front, and a performance space in the back,” Theo Dzielak, the previous manager of Couth Buzzard explains, gesturing around the open space. Dzielak is one of three owners of the new space, together with Gerry Lovchik, Couth Buzzard’s previous owner, and Penny Wright, owner of the Lynnwood Espresso Buono.

“Penny has the café expertise,” Lovchik says, pointing out the future site of the espresso bar. “But right now we’re just waiting on the government.” Lovchik sighs and smiles, shaking his head. “Health department.”

The treats will be one addition to the new store, as will the entertainment. The previous Couth Buzzard Books hosted events intermittently, but this time they’re hoping to have a more consistent performance schedule. Dzielak’s experience in this realm will be helpful. From 1996 to 2004, he coordinated an independent cabaret theater in the home of an ex-Microsoft employee who’d struck it rich on stock options when the company went public.

Bookstore Opening

“After she made all that money, she decided she wanted to do something different, and have this home performance space. So I found the acts and managed a cabaret space in her home. There was room for about 65 people or so.” The performance space in the back of the new Couth Buzzard is cozier, but Dzielak’s background makes him open to an eclectic range of performance styles—music, skits, author readings, open mics—all are possibilities.

The new Couth Buzzard will also host writing groups, bridge and chess clubs, and may offer space for local AA meetings. Clearly, the owners envision it as much as a community center as a bookstore.

In the mean time, a dozen rows of recently installed naked bookshelves sit waiting patiently to be filled. “Fiction” “Financing/Investing” “Oversized Women’s Issues” read small signs on the front door advertising a smattering of the genres that will be available (hopefully the latter is a typo representing two distinct categories). Nathan Heath, the owner of the now closed Epilogue Books in Ballard will be helping in the initial stocking effort. To start, the core of Couth Buzzard’s offerings will come from Epilogue Books’ old collection. “But we’re always open to donations—of books and time!” Dzielak says enthusiastically. Neighborhood residents can reach Dzielak at melodyplay@earthlink.net for more information about contributing classic novels, or construction expertise.

So stay tuned, and keep a soggy Seattle eye peeled for Couth Buzzard’s impending arrival.

By: Alicia Craven

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Greenwood Space Travel Supply: An Intergalactic Resource

Greenwood Intergalactic

The regulars at Greenwood Space Travel Supply are easy to spot—eschewing the superfluous side door, these savvy youthful patrons make a bee-line past the displays of tantalizing intergalactic accessories like Space Vehicle Hull Repair Patches and inflatable Interplanetary Puppies, and head straight for the teleporter at the back of the store. Although Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. does a brisk business selling Cherry-scented smoking alien stun guns, and anti-gravity gyroscopes, it is, essentially, an elaborate front. For beyond its futuristic inky black revolving teleporter doorway is the headquarters of 826 Seattle —a non-profit youth writing and after-school tutoring center.

826 Seattle is a Greenwood institution. It’s the Seattle branch of 826 National—a writing, tutoring, and publishing organization started by the renowned author, screenwriter and philanthropist, Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, “Away We Go”). Founded in San Francisco in 2002, the group has since opened writing centers in seven cities across the country.

Greenwood Writing Class

Since it’s opening four years ago, 826 Seattle has become a treasured fixture of the neighborhood—adding to the quirky, creative charm for which Greenwood is known. The center hosts many popular programs, chief among them free, drop-in homework help to neighborhood students of all ages. From 3-6 pm, Monday through Thursday, teams of dedicated volunteer tutors and students descend on 826 Seattle, settling in around expansive oak tables to practice spelling words, hash out fractions, and pen eloquent essays. A decorative penguin, outfitted in shimmering silver intergalactic attire, sits on a bookshelf perch, presiding over the vivacious buzz of creative energy below. With it’s festive, space travel themed décor, and warm, welcoming ambiance, 826 Seattle feels more like a secret clubhouse than a traditional sterile tutoring center.

In addition to drop-in tutoring, 826 Seattle also teams up with local schools to promote students’ love of writing by offering dynamic, in-house writing field trips. During these field trips, a local teacher brings his or her class to 826 Seattle where, in just two hours, students collaboratively brainstorm, and compose a completed creative story (i.e.-“Knucklehead’s Extreme Desert Wrestling Match” or “Super S’more and the Terrible Toasting Dragon.”) The texts are printed, bound, and each student leaves, a published writer, with a customized copy.

On the weekends, the action at 826 Seattle continues with free Saturday youth writing workshops. The gauntlet of topics in October alone ranges from: “Unleashing the Wild Things”—an imaginative story writing class about being marooned on a deserted island, to the Halloween inspired “Monsters in Your Closet: Writing from Real Life”—a class on crafting personal narratives and creative non-fiction. The output of these workshops is visible in the Space Travel Supply Co. where glossy paperback anthologies of students’ work line the bookshelves.

Adults too can hone their writing chops at 826 Seattle by signing up for the “Write Like I Do” monthly writing workshops . Local literary luminaries (i.e.-Nancy Pearl, David Schmader. John Roderick) lead seminars on everything from novel writing, to music reviews, to lyrics composition. Classes are $30, and 100% of the proceeds go towards 826 Seattle programming. All purchases at Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. also help fund 826 Seattle’s valuable work. So to those who have long marveled curiously at the display windows of 8414 Greenwood Ave.—the discount rocket fuel, and stylishly attired mannequins putting the cosmo back in cosmopolitan—consider an in-person visit. Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co.—a worthy front, indeed.

By: Alicia Craven

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