Milwaukee is home to a number of excellent independent book retailers, including some that specialize in unique and hard-to-find titles. Next weekend, there will be another place to stock up on literature in town—albeit temporarily—when a handful of specialty used booksellers will set up shop at a new Bay View events space over a span of two days and nights.
“A Boring Book Fair” will take place at Timeshare, a versatile rental space at 800 E. Potter Ave. that’s owned and operated by Emily and John Sturdy of URSA, October 18-19. Organized by Mike Pare and Michael Seidel of Milwaukee-based used bookseller Mushroom Books, the two-day happening aspires to bring “interesting and unorthodox” titles to the Bay View storefront.
Mushroom Books enlisted a few other Midwest vendors to join them. Other vendors include Vintage & Modern Books from Racine, Carpetbagger Books and Perpetual Books from Illinois, and some niche records from Milwaukee’s own Mike Mildew. From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, October 18 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 19, readers can browse an eclectic collection of titles Seidel says are “on the fringes of popular culture.” He says the vendors will bring literature to sell that lands in the following sub-genres: uncommon, transgressive, mystical, esoteric, sci-fi, fantasy, mid-century, and more. There will also be vintage role-playing games.
If you’re looking to acquire some rare and unconventional used books, records, and RPGs from some small independent booksellers, A Boring Book Fair promises to be anything but a boring time. You can learn more about the pop-up book shop event by following A Boring Book Fair on Instagram.
