Help Fund Mellow Pages Library, Get A Handwritten Love Letter
Photo by Austin McAllister
Fans of books, love letters, the ability to dictate the tattoo decisions of others, or some combination of the above, take note: Bushwick library-slash-reading-room Mellow Pages could use some money, and they’re offering up some pretty good collateral to anyone who gives it to them.
The library, which opened earlier this year and recently moved to a larger space inside 56 Bogart, launched an indiegogo fund earlier this week to cover, among other things, their $15,000 yearly rent. Per the explanation from co-owners Matt Nelson and Jacob Perkins:
We want to be as transparent as possible here. Our goal of 20,000 dollars nominally reflects our needs over the course of one year, 15,000 of which solely amounts to the rent. Don’t get discouraged by this number. Whether or not we reach this goal is not contingent on continuing the dream. We will persevere, as we already have. That said, every dollar helps.
This monetary request represents the latest facet of the experiment: we want to make as big an influence as we can, as positive, to create the best small press experience possible. We are exploring our options. We would like the ability to buy the books we house straight from the publishers (publishers who have thus far donated at their own expense). We want the freedom to begin writing workshops of our own and reading groups with extended hours, to make a more tangible impact. We want proper shelving and proper heating. We want you to be comfortable as well as taken care of. We want some good coffee, and we want to provide that coffee free of charge. The corners of our imagination are bulging here. If we get enough, who knows? A nice camera to record readings? An archive of those readings? (a true to gosh website?) A screen to project movies upon? A karaoke machine that only has poetry? Let us explore.
And the donor perks are a significant step up from the usual, “we’ll give you a free promotional sticker!” promises. Per usual, $20 buys you a year-long membership to the library, Matt and Jacob have promised to get matching stick and poke tattoos if at least 20 people pledge $75 (the tattoo can be a word of your choice if you up the ante to 15k), and $100 nets you a handwritten love letter, among other things. All of which is to say that now seems like an opportune moment to throw some money at a worthy local institution, yes?
Follow Virginia K. Smith on Twitter @vksmith.
