It’s prime reading season, and it’s high time for a brand new Lit Gallery. This one is extra special for us as we explore book and print pairings from our very own social media manager and newly minted bookstore owner(!) Emily Helck. Emily is a word nerd in the truest sense of the phrase. An author, teacher, and social media writer professionally, personally, Emily’s gifts as a wordsmith are equally unmatched. Emily is always a beacon of knowledge, poetic and thoughtful in conversation, and of course, a card-carrying member of the grammar police. Emily has woven an abundantly full life through love, loss, change, and growth. And this year, she founded The Lost Bookshop to honor the one constant that helped through it all: books.
A booklover from birth, Emily found solace in companionship in all types of tomes. The Lost Bookshop isn’t about pushing bestsellers, but rather creating a space where people could find a book that is just what they need in the moment. The name plays with the dual association of the word “lost” when it comes to books—it’s a pleasure to be lost in a story (or in a bookstore!), and for people who are feeling lost in a period of change or transition (like leaving home, relationships ending or beginning, and grief and loss). Emily’s goal is to offer books for both getting lost and finding your way.
Right now, The Lost Bookshop is in residence at the Bushel Collective, a mixed use arts space in Delhi, NY now through mid-December with the permanent storefront coming soon in spring 2023! You can also shop online on their site as well as their Bookshop.org storefront. In the meantime, Emily has paired some of her personal favorite reads with 20x200 prints for all of you. Enjoy!
"I like the idea of a reader taking a break from a page, and looking up at an artwork, and experiencing the two in conversation. It's different from illustration, which I also love, because the story and the art are unconcerned with each other, and are as likely to challenge each other as they are to support each other." –Emily Helck
A Month in the Country + Cornflowers in a field of rye
Halsey Street + ny.11.#12
Halsey Street by Naima Coster
The Remains of the Day + Animal Locomotion: Plate 44 (Man Taking Off Hat)
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Gathering Moss + Forest lights
Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Severance + Scrim
Severance by Ling Ma
Bluets + Ptilota sericea
Bluets by Maggie Nelson
The Swimmers + Lake Michigan, Chicago
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
Autumn + Time
Autumn by Ali Smith
Self Care + Summer Water
Self Care by Leigh Stein
