26
CULTURE
[LITERACY]
Save Our Bookstores Left Bank Books in the Central West End is asking for your help to survive Written by
JAIME LEES
T
he pandemic has been rough on businesses across the country, but independently owned shops are getting hit particularly hard. They often operate on small margins, so any dip in business can be catastrophic — but COVID-19 has brought almost unthinkable losses to a beloved local indie bookstore that has been operating on “sheer willpower” since March.
[ART]
Happy Accidents TikTok’s ‘Gay Bob Ross’ is a St. Louis star Written by
MATT WOODS
S
t. Louis artist Nicholas Holman gained his claim to fame on TikTok. He has 71,000 followers and 1 million likes since his first post on the social media app in May. Holman says he got 30,000 new followers in one day after posting a video of him painting the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. He also posts videos of illustrations of U.S. states and people’s pets. Holman served at restaurants before making a living on his art alone. A boost from TikTok gave him what he needed to show his talent and focus on art as a full-time career. Holman lets his personality come alive through his videos. Coining himself as “your local gay Bob Ross,” he adds witty commentary to the art he shares on TikTok.
26
RIVERFRONT TIMES
Left Bank Books (399 North Euclid Avenue; 314-367-6731) says that the last two months of the year usually “account for onethird of our whole year’s revenue,” but how the rest of this particular year will shape up is a big unknown because of the pandemic. As it is now, they say their numbers are “not sustainable,” so they are asking for help to get through these hard times. “With sales at an alarming low, and no additional Federal assistance in sight, there are not a lot of options,” the store’s owners write in a statement. “We’re doing everything we can with what we have. So I am asking you now, if you are at all able, to support us in generous numbers this holiday season.” ore than ust a place to find the latest hardcover, Left Bank Books has been a cultural hub since the business started in 1969. The shop is essential to the soul of St. Louis, and letting it go would feel like someone cut out a big piece of our local heart. And when we think about what kind of world we want after this pandemic finally ends, it
Left Bank Books co-owners Jarek Steele and Kris Kleindienst. | THEO WELLING is a world that definitely includes Left Bank Books. If you want to help them out you just have to do one thing: Find some way to give them a bit of money. If you don’t need any books,
He says TikTok gave him an opportunity that no other social media app could. On Instagram, Holman says he felt like he was posting to no one. Everyone has the chance to make it big on TikTok, he adds. A graduate of Fox Senior High School in Arnold, Holman moved to Arizona in February only to find himself stuck shortly after amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He moved back to St. Louis a few months ago and continued to take off on TikTok. “It just really excites me that this platform even exists, because I think I’ve tapped into a part of myself that I couldn’t really express anywhere,” Holman says. He takes states’ central themes and adds them to his state illustration videos, which have gotten upwards of 100,000 views. Missouri’s includes the Arch with the painting Holman at work. | COURTESY NICHOLAS HOLMAN of Ha Ha Tonka State Park in the background. Holman will paint a portrait of your pet for $75. His website also “Welcome back to the gay Bob Ross contains murals, posters and stickers show,” Holman said to start a video in of his art. He uses his platform for social May. The Bob Ross style shows through causes as well. Holman managed to his soft voice and nature paintings. This raise $3,400 for the Black Lives Matter way there are no mistakes in his videos, movement from T-shirts and other clothing and donated the profit, he says. n only happy little accidents.
NOVEMBER 11-17, 2020
riverfronttimes.com
you can just donate to the cause. But if you’re like us and you need twenty more books always, hit up Left Bank for your next new or pre-loved book purchase. Not only will you be keeping them in businesses, you’ll be keeping local people employed. And don’t worry, you don’t have to even go into the store — they’ll ship your purchase straight to your doorstep just like if you ordered it from one of the big evil guys. But they don’t just sell books, y’all. Left Bank Books can cover you for all of your holiday shopping needs. No, seriously. They have everything. Just check out their online gift shop. It includes the usual T-shirts and tote bags that you can find at many bookstores, but they also offer prints, stickers, face masks, cross-stitch kits, mugs, postcards, funny socks and a large selection of other doodads and must-haves like badass enamel pins in styles that honor lefty favorites like Ruth Bader Ginsberg, libraries and voting. So if you’re one of the lucky few with a bit of extra cash these days, buying from Left Bank Books is a great way to keep your money local and to keep a little bit of hope alive, too. “The sooner you place your orders or come in to browse by appointment, the more certain you can be of finding what you want,” the owners write. “And the more certain we can be of being able to celebrate our 52nd birthday with you next July.” n
