Neighborhood

Books afoot

Morris Book Shop to move

NoC News

If you hadn’t heard, The Morris Book Shop will be leaving its Southland Drive location this fall for new digs in Chevy Chase at 882 E. High Street (next to Rite-Aid and in the spot currently occupied by Hubbuch & Company).

Morris Book Shop owner Wyn Morris and store manager Hap Houlihan are founding members of Local First Lexington, the nonprofit business league whose goal is to promote buying from locally owned, independently operated businesses.

Since its opening in 2008, the book store has partnered with the likes of the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning, the University of Kentucky, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and the north side’s Homegrown Press to host many public events and fundraisers. “There’s a new business paradigm that we really like,” said Houlihan in the store’s press release, “it’s better to see other Lexington businesses and organizations as potential partners, rather than as potential competitors. So far, that’s worked remarkably well for us.”

Always willing to dig deeper into the news, the NoC news desk asked Houlihan some hard-hitting questions. Although he surely bristled at the probing nature of the questions, Mr. Houlihan was kind enough to respond.

The store is moving to Chevy Chase—so what is your favorite Chevy Chase movie?

Modern Problems, because it’s just so arfing terrible. Beyond bad. I didn’t like it even as a less-than-critical preteen, and this despite the fact that it (sort of) contains a sex scene. Now that’s bad.

The nearest intersection to the new location is High & Sunset—where is your favorite place to watch a sunset?

US 25 (Old Richmond Road), anywhere between Delong Road and Clay’s Ferry, especially during the summer, and especially on a bike. I should avoid the temptation to suggest that it also helps to be high.

What’s your favorite book that has a book store as part of the story?

I think I’m “supposed” to say 84 Charing Cross Road, but I’m gonna say Firmin, about a rat who lives in a bookstore and learns the contents of the books he eats, and inevitably becomes existentialist & depressed.

In an ideal world, how would Local First Lexington celebrate 10 years as an organization?

By disbanding, because everyone in Lexington will by then have come to understand the value of shopping locally.

What is your favorite song that has some sort of moving theme?

“Movin’ on up,” by A. DuBois. Better known to some as “Theme from The Jeffersons.” Timeless and poignant, bold yet delicate, this song speaks for generations—nay, eons—of people who have at one point or another in their lives, um, moved.

Hap’s one of the featured speakers at this month’s Holler Poets. Wednesday, June 22, 8:00 P.M. Be there.

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