Oldest Gay Bookstore to Close.

Back in the early-sixties while living on Horatio Street in Greenwich Village I kept running into a neighbor who lived across the street. We would always say hello to one another and eventually became friends. We had many mutual friends and began hanging out and having house parties whenever possible. That was the safest thing to do back then.

By 1966 we were pretty well known around the neighborhood (He more than I) and some even thought we were lovers, though that was never the case. That year was also a turning point for both of us. Having been in crappy jobs for a while and complaining about the harassment conditions to one another over "festive after-work cocktails" we decided that the next time we were verbally attacked we would have the last say and walk out immediately after. The verbal assaults were just a price one paid for not giving a shit what people thought of your personal life.

No, we weren't nelly queans or swishy (and we both believed that fact is what freaked them out) but we didn't boast about girlfriends, or our weekend adventures either. Anyway, I forget who walked first, but we both did within two weeks and enjoyed the looks on the faces of our attackers for many weeks after.

I got another job almost immediately, but Craig did not. He had long nurtured a dream which in 1966 seemed impossible; he wanted to open a gay book store. Remember this is a couple of years before the Stonewall riots and gays & lesbians were harassed daily and nightly even in the Village.

In 1967 Craig Rodwell's dream became a reality when he opened the now famous Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop on Christopher Street - you couldn't get any gayer than that. Craig had plenty of struggles and challenges but the store remained open even after his death from cancer in 1993. It is believed to be the oldest - if not the first - such book store in the country. Craig was very proud of what he accomplished and I was very proud of him for doing all he did for the community.

I received news today that after four decades the Oscar Wilde will close at the end of March this year. Very sad, but not unexpected in today's climate.
Here is an open letter from the current owner that appears on the website:

"It is with a sorrowful heart that after 41 years in business the Oscar Wilde Bookshop will close its doors for the final time on March 29, 2009. We want to thank all of our customers for their love and loyalty to the store over the years. You have helped make this store a world wide destination and all of us at the store have enjoyed welcoming our neighbors whether they are next door or half way around the world. In 1967 Craig Rodwell started this landmark store that not only sold Gay and Lesbian literature but also became a meeting place for the LGBT community. Over the years it grew into a first-rate bookshop thanks to the loyal, smart and dedicated staff. There are not enough words to thank these dedicated booksellers for making the OWB one of the world’s finest LGBT bookstores. I feel very honored to have gotten to work with them. Unfortunately we do not have the resources to weather the current economic crisis and find it’s time to call it a day. So thanks to all who have been a part of the Oscar Wilde family over the years, you have truly been a part of a great global community."

If you have a chance to visit before the end of March, be sure to thank the current owner for her dedication and purchase something to honour the store's memory. It will be sorely missed.

h/t Towleroad for the image.
More later.
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