704 North Person Street, Raleigh
(919) 426-9502
You could cross the shopping area of So & So Books, which shares space with an architecture firm, in one handspring. And maybe that’s what you’ll feel like doing when you realize that the shop’s curation compensates for what it lacks in size. The two owners, Chris Tonelli and Charles Wilkes, carefully select the latest poetry and fiction titles, which reflect their respective expertise in each of those genres. While you can find a smattering of famous poetry at any of the chain bookstores in the Triangle, and a smattering of local poetry at any of the other local indie bookstores, the depth and breadth of the national contemporary poetry on So & So’s shelves far outstrips the competition. (Tonelli is poetry publisher, so he’s always up on the latest.) The storefront also functions as a community hub, regularly featuring visiting and local readers and their books in the intimate but bright, open storefront.
