Cody's Books
Encyclopedia
Cody's Books was an independent bookstore
based in Berkeley, California
. It "was a pioneer in bookselling, bringing the paperback revolution to Berkeley, fighting censorship, and providing a safe harbor from tear gas directed at anti-Vietnam War
protesters throughout the 1960s and 70s."
. It was founded by Fred and Pat Cody. It moved to a larger location on Telegraph Avenue
in 1960 and moved to another Telegraph Avenue location in 1965. In 1968, "Cody's served as a first-aid station [...] when anti-war protesters were tear gassed and clubbed just outside its Telegraph Avenue doors [...] the store's employees were tending the wounded -- anti-war protesters teargassed and clubbed by the police and the National Guard as protests broke out on Telegraph Avenue."
In 1977, the Codys sold the store to Andy Ross who owned it until 2006.
Cody's was best known for its extensive selection of literary, political, and scholarly titles.
On February 28, 1989 unknown persons threw a firebomb
through the window of the store. It was thought that this was in response to the prominent display of Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses
which had a fatwa
placed against it by Iran
ian clerics one month prior. An undetonated pipe bomb was subsequently discovered in the store. In response the staff unanimously voted to keep the book on display despite the attack and the increasing willingness of chain bookstores to bow to pressure to withdraw it.
Cody's pioneered a well-regarded author reading series. Some prominent authors and notables who appeared at Cody's were: Tom Robbins, Norman Mailer, Ken Kesey, Alice Walker, Allen Ginsburg, Maurice Sendak, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Muhammed Ali, and Salman Rushdie.
In the 1980s, Cody's was a plaintiff in several anti-trust lawsuits charging that independent book sellers were discriminated against in favor of chain stores. Cody's owner, Andy Ross, was a prominent spokesperson supporting independent businesses against chain stores and Internet retailers.
. Together they were members of a significant regional supporter of independent bookselling, The Northern California Independent Bookseller's Association, or NCIBA.
that have pressured them to move out. As of March 2010 the location is still vacant. The Cody's San Francisco location closed in 2007 for a similar reason. Cody's was sold to Japanese book distributor Yohan, Inc. in September, 2006. In March 2008, the last remaining store moved from 4th Street to its final location on Shattuck Avenue due to a rent increase. Financial pressures forced the closure of the store for good on June 20, 2008. The 2008 PBS TV documentary Paperback Dreams
chronicles the related histories of Kepler's Books
in Menlo Park, California
and Cody's Books.
Independent bookstore
An independent bookstore is a retail bookstore which is independently owned.-Literary and countercultural history:Author events at independent bookstores sometimes take the role of literary salons. The bookstores themselves, "have historically supported and cultivated the work of independent...
based in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. It "was a pioneer in bookselling, bringing the paperback revolution to Berkeley, fighting censorship, and providing a safe harbor from tear gas directed at anti-Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
protesters throughout the 1960s and 70s."
History
The first store opened in 1956 on Euclid Avenue in Berkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. It was founded by Fred and Pat Cody. It moved to a larger location on Telegraph Avenue
Telegraph Avenue
Telegraph Avenue is a street that begins, at its southernmost point, in the midst of the historic downtown district of Oakland, California, USA, and ends, at its northernmost point, at the southern edge of the University of California campus in Berkeley, California...
in 1960 and moved to another Telegraph Avenue location in 1965. In 1968, "Cody's served as a first-aid station [...] when anti-war protesters were tear gassed and clubbed just outside its Telegraph Avenue doors [...] the store's employees were tending the wounded -- anti-war protesters teargassed and clubbed by the police and the National Guard as protests broke out on Telegraph Avenue."
In 1977, the Codys sold the store to Andy Ross who owned it until 2006.
Cody's was best known for its extensive selection of literary, political, and scholarly titles.
On February 28, 1989 unknown persons threw a firebomb
Firebomb
Firebomb may refer to:* Firebombing* Incendiary device* Molotov cocktail* A season 2 episode of the television show Alias* "Fire Bomb", a song by Rihanna from her 2009 album Rated R...
through the window of the store. It was thought that this was in response to the prominent display of Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses
The Satanic Verses
The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdie's fourth novel, first published in 1988 and inspired in part by the life of Prophet Muhammad. As with his previous books, Rushdie used magical realism and relied on contemporary events and people to create his characters...
which had a fatwa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
placed against it by Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian clerics one month prior. An undetonated pipe bomb was subsequently discovered in the store. In response the staff unanimously voted to keep the book on display despite the attack and the increasing willingness of chain bookstores to bow to pressure to withdraw it.
Cody's pioneered a well-regarded author reading series. Some prominent authors and notables who appeared at Cody's were: Tom Robbins, Norman Mailer, Ken Kesey, Alice Walker, Allen Ginsburg, Maurice Sendak, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Muhammed Ali, and Salman Rushdie.
In the 1980s, Cody's was a plaintiff in several anti-trust lawsuits charging that independent book sellers were discriminated against in favor of chain stores. Cody's owner, Andy Ross, was a prominent spokesperson supporting independent businesses against chain stores and Internet retailers.
Neighborhood booksellers
Cody's was a core bookseller among a coterie of independent booksellers, which included Moe's Books, located nearly next door to Cody's, Pendragon/Pellucidar/Pegasus, Shakespeare & Co., Black Oak Books, Diesel, and others, all located in the region from north Berkeley to north Oakland. This region includes the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. Together they were members of a significant regional supporter of independent bookselling, The Northern California Independent Bookseller's Association, or NCIBA.
Moves and closure
The Telegraph store was the flagship store until it closed in 2006, sparking a controversy in the local press over the cause. One explanation given for the closure was that it was caused by pressure from corporate chains like BordersBorders Group
Borders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
that have pressured them to move out. As of March 2010 the location is still vacant. The Cody's San Francisco location closed in 2007 for a similar reason. Cody's was sold to Japanese book distributor Yohan, Inc. in September, 2006. In March 2008, the last remaining store moved from 4th Street to its final location on Shattuck Avenue due to a rent increase. Financial pressures forced the closure of the store for good on June 20, 2008. The 2008 PBS TV documentary Paperback Dreams
Paperback Dreams
Paperback Dreams is a documentary film directed by Alex Beckstead. It is part of the KQED documentary film series, Truly CA. The film is "the story of two landmark independent bookstores and their struggle to survive...
chronicles the related histories of Kepler's Books
Kepler's Books
Kepler's Books and Magazines is an independent bookstore in Menlo Park, California. It was founded on May 14, 1955 by Roy Kepler, who had previously been a staff member of the Berkeley listener-supported radio station KPFA...
in Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...
and Cody's Books.
Timeline
Stores:- Euclid Avenue, Berkeley 1956-1960
- Telegraph Avenue and Dwight, Berkeley 1960-1963
- Telegraph AvenueTelegraph AvenueTelegraph Avenue is a street that begins, at its southernmost point, in the midst of the historic downtown district of Oakland, California, USA, and ends, at its northernmost point, at the southern edge of the University of California campus in Berkeley, California...
and Haste Street, Berkeley 1963-July 10, 2006 - San Francisco 2005-2007
- 1730 4th St., Berkeley 1997-March 2008
- 2201 Shattuck Ave., Downtown Berkeley April 1, 2008 - June 19, 2008 then a final sale starting from August 14 until August 22 or August 23, 2008
Further reading
- Cody's Books : the life and times of a Berkeley bookstore, 1956-1977 by Pat and Fred Cody, San Francisco : Chronicle Books, 1992 (ISBN 0811802205, 0811801403)
- Perman, Stacy. "Autopsy of an Indie Bookseller." BusinessweekBusinessWeekBloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
. January 12, 2009.
External links
- Cody's Books: Paperback Dreams
- "Last Cody's Bookstore Bids Farewell to Berkeley" - The Daily CalifornianThe Daily CalifornianThe Daily Californian is an independent, student-run newspaper that serves the University of California, Berkeley campus and its surrounding community. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and twice a week during the summer...