Stuart brent obituary wilmette, il chicago tribune. With that abrupt announcement, my career in the book business began. A true momandpop shop, sandmeyer s bookstore has been familyowned and operated since the beginning. Under siege by book superstores, discounters and his landlord for more than a decade, stuart brent had announced his stores demise so frequently, while denouncing the vulgarians and mass. Big finds from small businesses categorized under book stores in chicago il. When i was a little boy, any my parents had errands to run in chicago, rather than cart me around to lawyers, accountants, and doctors they would leave me for a few hours in the wonderland of the basement childrens book section of stuart brent books on michigan avenue. Brent is the daughter of stuart brent, a legendary chicago bookseller famous for pulling passersby off michigan avenue into his store and thrusting a book into their hands, telling them they had to read it. Book block is a stationery manufacturer with offices in chicago, usa, and london, uk. We believe that most were killed off primarly by book superstores.
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. An independent bookseller in chicago for 50 years, stuart opened his first bookstore in 1947 and closed stuart brent books on michigan avenue in 1996, retiring to a farm in wisconsin and passing away in 2010 at the age of 98. Stuart brent had the irascible stuart brent himself, a bookseller who once told me, youre not too pretentious for someone affiliated with the university of chicago. Hail and farewll stuart brent, bookseller chicago yelp. We understand that the current circumstances have caused difficulty for many, and appreciate the efforts made by all to support unabridged bookstore at this time. In light of covid19 coronavirus concerns, the store is extending free ground shipping on all orders. His venture into book selling started after world war ii, when as a young man fresh out of the army, he opened a small book and music store. Brents book club a subscription service that sends a child a handselected, giftwrapped book each month is the gift that keeps on giving. The daughter of legendary chicago bookstore owner stuart brent shows how a seemingly innocuous book, destined for the recycler, could be worth fifty, a hundred or even thousands of dollars. Visit stuart brent childrens book club in winnetka today and discover a few new books, all of which are available at a fair price. Dalton opened a discount outlet a block from his michigan avenue bookstore, stuart.
There are a lot of ways to make money in the business, said brent, whose father, chicago bookseller stuart brent, closed the citys most famous bookstore after a half century in 1996. Always call to confirm all information before heading out as information is subject to change. Amy brent made that statement about her cultural and spiritual bent. I grew up a few miles away, believing that there was an unbridgeable gap between the magnificent mile and me. An adventure of the heart by stuart brent and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Stuart brent ran a legendary little bookstore in chicago for decades, first on rush street and later on michigan avenue. Stuart brent, whose book store was one of the great gems of the old, premallification, boul mich, died wed. According to amy, the odds of finding a valuable rare book in your own house are considerably better than those of winning the lottery. Book block is a stationery manufacturer offering diaries, notebooks and journals for customization. This blog is about my familys personal connection to north michigan avenue from the chicago river north, also known as the magnificent mile, as well as an homage to a few iconic buildings and businesses that no longer exist. The university of chicago bookstore the barnes and noble bookstore located on campus sells textbooks, memorabilia, and school supplies.
Save money at chicago area used book sales chicago on. Chicago state university bookstore apparel, merchandise. Welcome to the stuart brent childrens book club stuart brent books. His business still lives on the internet as stuart brent childrens book club. Search for product, service or business name near city, region. Used book sales are a great way to buy books on the cheap and to help library systems raise badly needed revenue.
Come browse our extensive collection of new releases, travel guides and childrens books. In 1946, my father, stuart brent, founded his first bookstore, the seven stairs, on rush street in chicago, using a gi loan and money he borrowed from his brotherinlaw. Brent was a lover of literature whose emporium actually sold, well, books. A lovely memoir of a bookish life, led at an interesting time in chicago literature the early 1950s to the late 1980s.
As soon as amy entered high school, she was conscripted to work in her fathers shop, meeting the luminaries such as saul bellow and gore. The inimitable stuart brent held down the fort for decades further south on michigan, lynn becker wrote last year at architecturechicago plus. Claim this business 6464 n sheridan rd, chicago, il, 60626 becks books is the place where college students can buy or sell college books and textbooks. A writer surveys the transformation of chicagos literary. My daughter has also been a member of the stuart brent childrens book club for several years, and their selections are consistently wonderful and firstrate. Originally published in 1962, this book is the autobiography of brent stuart, a successful chicago book seller. He later wrote about it in his book, the seven stairs.
She interviewed stuart on television for three years, and ran the childrens section of stuart brent books until her death in 1984. Remembering stuart brent, chicagos messianic bookseller by the beachwood booksellers affairs division long before the advent of the megabookstore, there was a place of pilgrimage for readers and writers on north michigan avenue, presided over by stuart brent, who was not merely a merchant but literatures selfappointed local guardian, the tribune reports. Its also great for the environment when we reuse old books rather than buying new ones. Brent, who opened his first store in 1946 and closed his last one half a. Find 1 listings related to stuart brent childrens book club 03164933 in winnetka on. Remembering stuart brent, chicagos messianic bookseller. In 1946, my father, stuart brent, founded his first bookstore, the seven stairs, on rush street in chicago, using a gi loan and money he borrowed from his. Amy brent is carrying on a family tradition begun by her legendary dad stuart of loving and selling books, informed by a jewish sensibility. Book lover brent builds readers for life dailynorthshore.
By george castle, special to chicago jewish news remember, jews are the people of the book. Atlanta austin baltimore boston charlotte chicago dallas denver. Dalton opened a discount outlet a block from his michigan avenue bookstore, stuart brent decided that drastic action was required. As a child of famed chicago book purveyor stuart brent, who owned and operated stuart brent books until its closure in 1996, brent was born just short. When books were only visible while they were in store windows, a book had to find readers fast or. Bookstore, stuart brent books on michigan avenue, the savvy traveller, and prairie avenue bookshop, among others. The first saturday i was in high school, my father woke me up and said, youre in high school now, time to get to work. They can be contacted via phone at 312 3640126 for pricing, hours and directions. But it probably never applied better than to three generations of her family, where judaism and a passion for the longest form of literacy ever invented, be it holy or merely bestseller, always were intertwined. Once a store goes out of business, its owners can be difficult to find.
After the war he opened a small bookshop on rush street that he called the seven stairs, for the number of steps it took to descend to its door. The daughter of legendary chicago bookstore owner stuart brent shows how a seemingly innocuous book, destined for the recycler, could be worth fifty. When you park in one of the nearby options, you can keep your car safe during your visit. Hunting for the treasure of and in books wttw chicago. Youre going to want to keep this ranking of used bookstores handy for your next chicago trip.
Both are gone now, but a week doesnt go by that i dont wish i could go back. A few years later he moved to a larger space at 670 north michigan avenue which became the chicago readers destination stuart brent books. Amazons first chicago store opens interesting chicago. The chicago bookseller stuart brent is one of many who remember him as a good listener, an essentially diffident man who was quiet and careful in his speech. The ground floor was stocked with a wellcrafted selection of literary fiction, art books, and essential nonfiction, with a tilt toward titles in psychology and psychoanalysis. The store is huge and the floortoceiling shelves leave room for just one person to walk through the aisles. Stuart brent childrens book club winnetka, il groupon. Stuart brent books, chicago, il taylors, dallasfort worth, tx the book co. Just the best book store anywhere very helpful and professional staff. Either stopping at stuart brent bookstores or hobnobbing with the master kibitzer at.
Stuart brent, 19122010 the chicago blog the chicago blog. Bookstore survey friends of davis, ca citzens group. Book club reading recommendations the american writers. Dear valued customers, once again, we would like to thank you for all the support shown in recent days.
Welcome to the stuart brent childrens book club stuart. The obituary was featured in chicago suntimes on june 27. Sandmeyer s bookstore has served chicagos south loop since 1982, providing quality new books and unbeatable service. Christian books, music, bibles, gifts, home school. The guest book is expired please restore the guest book to share in the life story for stuart brent dear brent family, with a special note to lisa and amy because i knew you the best. It is so much easier to find a valuable book than a valuable piece of art or furniture, where you have to know your chippendale or whatever. A look inside amazons first brickandmortar bookstore in. I never visited his namesake store, but did frequent his son adams brent books in the west loop for several years and thoroughly enjoyed stuarts memoir the seven stairs. He attended the university of chicago where he earned a degree in education before service in the army in world war ii.
We support learning regardless of where it takes place. Brent was at the center of a remarkable cadre of chicago writers, critics, artists, and psychiatrists. Cozy up with a new and exciting book from stuart brent childrens book club in winnetka and escape reality for a few hours. Book club members and voracious readers alike will find something to pique their interest. For info the weinstein funeral home, wilmette chapel, 8472565700. Stuart brent childrens book club 03164933 in winnetka, il. Stuart brent books was a magical bookstore on chicagos michigan avenue, owned and managed by the strange and wonderful stuart brent. A writer surveys the transformation of chicagos literary landscape. The stretch of north michigan called the mag mile, for short, figured into my familys life from the day i was born.
1100 961 313 159 583 268 54 418 1196 1466 1207 1281 379 691 753 1540 612 1113 228 775 937 822 341 1096 1195 24 198 939 995 1243 1027 757 899 1074 1094