by Charlie London
Back in May of this year, Robert Thompson sent out an email to the FSJNA Yahoo group that the Maple Street Bookstores had signed the papers on two condos on Ponce de Leon next to Canseco’s Grocery. A call to the Maple Street Bookstore confirmed that they have indeed purchased the property and will be opening a new and used bookstore at that location on Saturday, December 10th, 2011.

To learn more about the Maple Street Bookstore group, please visit the link below:
http://www.maplestreetbookshop.com/pages/view/277/302/History
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Historic Uptown literary establishment, Maple Street Book Shop, is expanding into Faubourg St. John on December 10th. The Faubourg St. John location is at 3141 Ponce de Leon #1. The Faubourg St. John location will have new and used books.

Why are we doing this? For a variety of reasons, none the least of which is that the rate of illiteracy in New Orleans is unacceptable. It’s nearly twice the national average. How can this be in our wonderful city? Literacy is vital to the growth and well-being of any community, whether that community is a well established one located near universities or one having to rebuild itself from the ground up after a massive disaster. Maple Street Book Shop has always been a neighborhood book shop and as New Orleans continues to rebuild its neighborhoods, we want to be there to offer the residents a source for quality literature, a source for affordable reading materials, a source for reading materials in all formats, and a place for literary events.

We’ll be fighting the stupids as we go.

~Donna Allen, Owner