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New Yorkers familiar with Bluestockings, the nonprofit bookstore at 172 Allen St. on the Lower East Side, should know about Firestorm. Bluestockings was the inspiration behind Firestorm, a bookstore of similar repute, located in Asheville, North Carolina, that opened in May 2008. Like Bluestockings, Firestorm functions as a volunteer-run co-op and offers literature on similar topics. Both stores aim to create a space of empowerment and equality for customers through monthly readings, performances and public workshops. Visitors comb the shelves of Bluestockings for a variety of books and zines, among other types of literature, that explore topics on race, gender and class. The in-store cafés provide their customers with organic snacks and fair trade coffee.
Shea Carmen Swan is a junior at Lang, majoring in Journalism + Design, minoring in Gender Studies. With 4 semesters of Free Press under her belt, she enjoys writing all things LGBTQIA and currently writes for Posture Magazine, a queer arts publication. Kyriacrchy.wordpress.com & Soilscript.wordpress.com host most of her literary work.
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