Several experiences led me to TASCHEN.

I am inspired by art in many of its various forms and I believe because my mother works in watercolor I have fallen in love with paintings. When she comes to visit me in New York we always make a trip to the Met a priority. It was there she taught me to understand and feel the emotion in a Pollock. If I had questions as to why a simple bowl of fruit was considered a great work next to a gigantic tapestry of intimate detail; I was educated about colors, line, brushstrokes, craftsmanship and always about the feeling of a piece. In an attempt to support her turn to watercolors, at a relatively late time in her life, I began buying books on art and discussing them with her. We have spent hours on the phone discussing Sister Wendy and the themes I find in my books.

A few years later I began at a new job filled with talented artists. I found myself surrounded by designers, goldsmiths, make-up artists, sculptors, writers, actors, and activists. Endlessly interesting and kind; they were happy and supportive of my curiosities in their fields.

On one of the hottest days of the summer, working down in the SoHo area, one of my co-workers had gone for lunch and returned with the news, “TASCHEN is having a sale.” I knew they were a publisher of fine art books but I hadn’t realized they had their own store. I zoomed over, not hard since it is just around the corner, and was floored by the selection and quality of what I found. In an earlier post on this site I have pictures of the most beautiful books I purchased there for so little. My favorite from that trip is a hardcover Chagall book for far less than it is worth.

On another hot day, needing a break from poetry, I journeyed there again and was greeted with a kind hello and a pretty smile. I browsed and found that even when there isn’t a sale going on you can still find beautiful, informative and unique books for wallet friendly prices. Above are the different fruits of my pilgrimage. I am reading the Symbolism book now and it has become a source of inspiration for some of my newest poems.

Sure, there are the bigger, longer, heavier and pricier books there but if you really look at what the book is, art in itself, the charge makes sense. The staff is really friendly, unassuming, and fun; making for a relaxing shopping experience. If you have any questions or would simply like a recommendation the workers are quick to lead you to their favorites.

TASCHEN was founded on the belief of making art accessible to everyone. This is an important part of why I continue to shop there. As I become a more educated consumer I learn my money/credit card helps to support whatever belief structure a company was built on. Seems elementary an concept but it took me a while to figure it out. I don’t really believe any organizations are perfect in their mission, but I like to shop at the ones which try. I think it important to support these places.

I have loads of favorite places to visit in New York City. Bookstores are among these, I spend most of my time in them. Two at the top of my list in terms of selection and affordability are The Strand Bookstore and The Housing Works Bookstore and Cafe.

The Strand has 18 miles of books with selections ranging from the most common fiction to the most obscure of subjects. Even hardcover new releases are marked down and if you are really willing to take time and search you can find some of your most loved works for under six dollars. They have a decent Kids/YA section with new titles for every age. You can even find some books which are out of print. The Staff is usually very helpful and pleasant. I found The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the new YA everyone is reading these days, for under $8.

The Housing Works Bookstore is run completely by volunteers and donations. The proceeds from its sales go to help people with HIV/AIDS and research to find a cure. They have a cute little cafe and neat spiral staircases. The feeling is an old English library. Their selection varies because they run completely on donations, but you can find some great stuff. The only thing I would beef up is their Kids/YA selection, which seems to get smaller every time I visit. This however is out of their control and the staff is completely lovely. I found a stack of books and four DVDs for under $30.