Looks like we’re going to have to get used to wakes for beloved Capitol Hill indie bookstores. Born in the summer before Bailey Coy’s winter 2009 wake, “micro-independent” bookstore and literary center Pilot Books is closing its doors in the 219 Broadway alley this weekend.
Here’s the mail from Pilot’s Summer Robinson:
We spoke with Robinson a few times over the years. One of the most interesting conversations was part of David Albright’s CHS-V work when he interviewed Pilot’s owner a year ago about her business as part of his “Small is Beautiful” series. “..the way I was raise is that you should make an effort to keep your dollar in the community and that is what will set a thriving community apart from one that is not thriving so much,” Robinson says when talking about her business philosophy. She also says Pilot was more of a project than a business. On Sunday, the Pilot Books project — or at least the brick and mortar store part of things — comes to an end.
Pilot Books from David Albright on Vimeo.
The Stranger’s Paul Constant called the closure “a huge loss for Seattle’s literary community.”