BOOKSMART
Welcome to our literary city, where authors rub shoulders with independent bookstores, local libraries support their communities, and a men's club based on a love of the written word moves toward its 172nd year.
By Eileen Bunch, Katie Coburn, Lauren Fisher, John Fox, Polk Lafoon IV, Kaileigh Peyton, and Amanda Boyd Walters
Dani McClain Is Cincinnati’s Active Writer-in-Residence
The writer wraps up a year of programs at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library promoting the power of the written word and activism within communities.
Six Stellar Independent Bookstores
These six local indie booksellers bring communities together over great reads in ways the big-box bookstores just can’t.
My Little Free Library Helped Me Be a Better Neighbor
Creating connections and conversations around the books in her Little Free Library gave this writer a new point of view during the pandemic.
This Nationwide Program Provides Free Books for Kids
Now local kids can enroll in Imagination Library, Dolly Parton’s early childhood literacy program, which has expanded into the tri-state.
Editor’s Letter, November 2020: Sharing a Reading Experience
We’ve all done a lot of being alone together during the pandemic, staying apart physically while trying to stay connected as best we can. Reading can help.
Inside our Book Smart Issue: November 2020
We chat about Cincinnati's bookstores, libraries, authors, and more, and how local companies use the enneagram in the workplace.
Seven Public Libraries Worth Checking Out
Public libraries provide incredible resources to our communities, from their digital offerings to their physical collections, which go far beyond books.
Three Out-of-Library Experiences
Looking for a more communal experience, or wanting to get out and explore? Here are three ways you can be bring the words into the world.
Meet 19 Authors With Local Ties
We introduce you to nineteen past and present authors with ties to the Queen City, who have created works that are definitely worth your time.
The Book Doctor Is In at the Ohio Book Store
In the windowless basement of the Ohio Book Store, brothers Mike and Jim Fallon keep the family business of book restoration alive and well.
These Three Libraries Offer Nontraditional Items For Select Borrowers
From tools to board games to original Procter & Gamble product packaging, these three nontraditional libraries offer more than books.
Explore These Five Specialized Libraries
There’s something for every interest in the vast, intriguing, and educational collections of these five specialty libraries.
Three Local Literary Organizations You Should Know
We present you the king of local independent booksellers, a local showcase for writers, and an organization dedicated to the creative art of book making.
Three Organizations That Nurture Writers
Sometimes it takes a village to become a better writer. These organizations help improve individual skills and build community through group activities.
Behind Closed Doors at The Literary Club, One of the City’s Oldest and Most...
For more than 170 years, The Literary Club's members have gathered on Monday nights. It's a quintessential Cincinnati story of reading, fellowship, and male bonding.