Bibliophiles celebrated the opening of an independent bookstore in downtown Tulsa on Monday.
Magic City Books at 221 E Archer St. is owned and operated by the nonprofit Tulsa Literary Coalition.
Store founder and TLC President Jeff Martin said they want Magic City to be a place people can discuss and discover new books.
"If you view our cultural life here in our city as a wheel, there should be spokes for museum, ballet, opera, the symphony, etcetera," Martin said. "And for a full 360 degree life, one of those must be a strong literary and book scene. It's as equal as everything else on that list."
Magic City will offer more than just hand-selected books, with programs such as lectures and author events.
"But please know that every time you do buy a book from us, you are helping the Tulsa Literary Coalition provide programs that will help everyone in Tulsa see how books can transform their lives," said TLC Executive Director Cindy Hulsey.
TLC aims to improve the community and bridge social divides through reading and literature. Mayor G.T. Bynum — among Magic City's first customers with his purchase of Ron Chernow's biography of Ulysses S. Grant — said Tulsa is building a city of readers.
"So much of that is around the literacy efforts that are interwoven throughout our community, but a big part of that is having a community place where people can gather and discuss what they're reading, talk about the great books that are out there and find them," Bynum said.
According to the Tulsa Regional Chamber, now’s a great time for Magic City to open. Hardback sales are on the rise and independent bookstores are seeing steady growth across the country, and cities seeing the most growth are the ones with vibrant cultural scenes — including literature.
Magic City Books is also the new home of Booksmart Tulsa, a TLC program that presents author events.
