Interior of Subtext Books, Saint Paul, MN.
Tucked away amid the skyscrapers and Starbucks of Saint Paul, MN, one local store strives to make a difference.
Subtext Books, with the tagline “Satisfy Your Curiosity”, hosts crowded shelves, floor to ceiling windows, and a friendly canine named Beckett. The store aims to create a genuine, social-justice oriented community within Saint Paul, according to store manager Matt Keliher.
“We try to foster social justice here,” Keliher said. “We have a political book club, called the Resistance book club, that reads social justice books.”
The social justice themed section of Subtext Books.
According to Keliher, this interest has been a component of Subtext since the store was created in 2013.
“It’s picked up more since the election, that’s when the book club started,” Keliher said. “We recognized that we had a place where we could make an impact positively in regards to what’s going on the world.”
The community focus of Subtext goes beyond the political, however. According to Keliher, the store often hosts readings, book signings, and literary discussions.
“We have a robust events series, about two a week, and have a lot of book clubs,” Keliher said.
A corner of the interior of Subtext Books.
There are currently five book clubs within Subtext, with interests ranging from cooking to poetry, according to the store’s website. These different focuses allow for a large number of participants.
“We see all walks of life and a lot of diversity,” Keliher said.
Visit the store at 6 West 5th St, Saint Paul, MN between the hours of nine a.m. and nine p.m. Monday through Saturday, and between 10 a.m. and six p.m. Sunday. More information about the store, including the schedule of events and book club meetings, can be found on the Subtext website: https://subtextbooks.com/.
