Cozy Corner: New and Used Books and Writer’s Center, located in Virginia Beach, VA, isn’t an oversized, Muzak-playing, glossy space scattered with comfy-chair nooks, magazine racks, toys, and a coffee bar. It’s small, it’s not well-known (yet), it’s a little rough around the edges in spots.
In other words, it’s an independent bookstore, not part of a chain. That status alone recommends at least a visit, in my view; so I went out there on a recent rainy Saturday to welcome owner Michelle Johnson to the area.
Michelle Johnson, owner of Cozy Corner
The store opened on November 1, 2010, and is still on its “learning curve”: that time during which the furniture gets rearranged, so to speak (and in some cases literally), the store gathers its initial customer base, and the owner’s ideas are beta-tested against local reality. And Michelle Johnson has some ambitious ideas: more than just a bookstore, she wants to “create a community center in Virginia Beach for both readers and writers, and to partner with the surrounding schools and centers to promote literacy and creative expression.”
The back room reflects that: it holds a large table and number of comfortable swivel chairs, a shelf filled with reference books on all aspects of writing (she’s taking donations, if anyone wants to help build that collection), and of course a coffee pot, mini refrigerator, and microwave. A door to the front of the store can be closed for privacy and quiet, and on that door is a sign clearly labeling the back room as a writer’s haven. Michelle does ask a small fee for the use of the room, but it’s an all-day pass to hang out in a quiet, supportive environment and write. No Starbucks gawkers hanging over one’s shoulder, and if high-end coffee is desired, the Bad-Ass Coffee Shop is just a block away, well within walking distance (and well worth the trip, as well–but I won’t digress).
Moving out to the front room, the shelves are mainly plain, unvarnished wood constructions, and the stock is not extensive at the moment. There is definitely room for more books, and a sense that when traffic picks up a bit those shelves will indeed bulge with more reading material.
There's room to grow...
Cozy Corners has both new and used books; the bulk of the offerings are used books at the moment, supplemented by new books from local and independent authors such as Pamela K. Kinney and Sharon Greenspan.
Stepping back a bit further, the outside of the store is unremarkable, the parking limited; a busy road (Virginia Beach Blvd) leads, a few blocks down, to the Beach, where the Heritage Store and the Jewish Mother used to be (due to construction, many of the local businesses towards the eastern end of VA Beach Blvd have closed or moved). It’s a good location: going to the beach and relaxing with a good book is a perennial favorite of many avid readers, and now they can stop on their way to pick up something new. Winter is a bit more dreary of a time, and the temptation to visit a bright and hyper-cheery superstore may overwhelm; but there’s a warmth to Cozy Corner, and in owner Michelle Johnson, that makes a visit to this new indie bookstore a true gift to oneself.
Yes, it's a real place in Virginia ... no Photoshopping here.
I’m looking forward to seeing how Cozy Corner evolves, and how the owner’s ambitious and carefully laid plans develop into a successful reality. If you’re in the Virginia Peninsula area, make the trip out to see for yourself; you’ll be helping to build something great–and that’s a good thing to do at any time of year.
The Cozy Corner web site may be found here.
Their FB page is here.
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