InterView
By Chris Murphy
Something really cool is happening in Modesto. It involves the written and spoken words. One of the many things I love most about doing ModestoView is highlighting the things that make us slow down, put down the phones, and really absorb what you are doing. Reading and listening to music fill those needs well. That time to think and imagine is so very important.
This month, Bookish, a new bookstore, opens in Modesto’s Roseburg Square. Built from scratch by Will and Paula Treick DeBoard, Bookish has the cheering support of their friends and community. Will and Paula are bringing some amazing cred to a local bookstore. Will was a long-time sports writer for the Modesto Bee and is now a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Assistant Sports Commissioner. Paula is an author with four novels and is a creative writing lecturer at UC Merced. As you might imagine, this is an amazing effort to open this store. Modesto needs a local bookstore, a gathering place and a fountain of creativity. Bookish will have a creative impact on Modesto. Let’s meet Will and Paula.
ModestoView: What is it about books that made you want to open a bookstore?
Paula Treick DeBoard: We’re both long-time, unapologetic nerds who love books and bookstores. No matter where we end up on vacation, we’re always checking out the local bookstore scene. With Bookish, we’re hoping to combine books and community, and give booklovers their own space in Modesto. One thing that we’re both particularly proud of, is that pretty much every person and business that has contributed to the creation of Bookish – and there are a lot of them – are all from the 209. We’ve used local businesses and members of our community at every step – from our logo design to signage to the woodworking within the store – we wouldn’t do this any other way..
MV: Did you grow up loving to read and write?
PTD: Absolutely. We were both library card kids, summer reading program kids, you name it. I may have peaked in 1985 when I won a copy of Charlotte’s Web in the Henry County (Ohio) read-a-thon.
Will DeBoard: I lived at the Hughson branch of the Stanislaus County Library most summers (and other seasons). It was this little space next to the I.O.O.F. Hall that had stacks of books – probably to dangerous heights!
MV: What was the first book you remember reading as a child?
WD: For me, the children’s book I remember most is From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg. It’s about two kids who stumble across a mystery and end up spending the night in the Metropolitan Museum of Art while solving their mystery. I’m a big re-reader, and I read this book to tatters. I feel like that book, in particular, really sparked my imagination.
PTD: These obviously weren’t the first books I read, but I loved the Nancy Drew series. Nancy had a convertible! She had smart friends! She solved mysteries! I was enchanted from the beginning.
MV: Are you finding that more people want a connection to the written word in a tactile way?
PTD: I do think there’s a return to the romance of physical books, like the trend to listen to music on vinyl. There’s just a different feeling when you interact with pages rather than with a computer screen. But people encounter books–stories–in a lot of forms: physical books, ebooks, audiobooks. Even if we’re consuming stories in a different way, we’re just as hungry for them now as previous generations.
MV: How do you think that more parents can instill the love of reading?
WD: The biggie for me is making sure your kids are around books. Could be the library. Or maybe little free libraries in your neighborhood. Or we can help you at Bookish. I grew up reading just about anything I could get my hands on, and my parents made sure I had a lot of books to read. I still remember, as an elementary student, getting a book at Waldenbooks in Vintage Faire Mall. My parents were nearby, but not right there (that happened back then) and I didn’t quite have enough money to buy the book I wanted. I think it was a Choose Your Own Adventure. And the woman behind me paid the extra. I remember her saying, “Helping a child get a book. That’s well-spent money as far as I’m concerned!” Thank you, kind woman, wherever you are.
PTD: We aren’t parents ourselves (at least, for the purpose of this question, our dogs probably don’t count), but parents reading to kids is so important. It forms bonds and creates a quiet space for imagination and discussion. I’m so fortunate that I grew up in a house with parents who read, and read to us. My mom and I still read the same books and talk about what we’re reading every time we’re together.
MV: Will, how important is it that we have a thriving local newspaper?
WD: Oh man, it’s so important. Newspapers speak truth to power and shine the light into so many dark places. We need to have a watchdog that holds elected officials accountable; but also, we need somebody there to chronicle the good as well. Newspapers and the media in general have taken their lumps over the last several years, but I know personally that no shortcuts were taken at the Modesto Bee during my time there. Everybody there worked so hard to get the story right and we talked deep into the night to make every story better. It’s the best job I’ve ever had; we really did great work. There’s always a market for great journalism.
MV: Paula, what was your first published work and did that change your view of the book world?
PTD: My first novel, The Mourning Hours, was published in 2013. It’s a family drama about a teenage girl who goes missing in the middle of a snowstorm, a mystery that isn’t solved for decades. I was fortunate to work with the same publisher for four books, and that gave me a lot of insight into the publishing world, and that’s partly what made me more interested in the bookselling side of things.
MV: Will and Paula, what authors have been your biggest inspiration?
WD: In my formative years, I probably read Stephen King more than anybody else. He’s such a great writer of dialogue. He created real people and he put them into unreal situations. More recently, Neil Gaiman is way up there. He takes chances and writes many different genres. And our love for him multiplied exponentially when he amplified our crowdfunding on social media.
PTD: There’s probably too many to list, so I’ll just say Judy Blume. She’s fearless and knows her audience. I watched the Judy Blume Forever documentary and fell in love with her all over again.
MV: ModestoView is my side hobby that has become a major project; how do you see Bookish affecting your current jobs of writer/lecturer and sports commissioner?
WD: I’ll continue with my day job, which is Mondays through Fridays. The current plan for me is to be there at evening events and on Saturdays. You can see it on certain social media comments when bookstores are brought up, this isn’t considered an industry where you become millionaires. I consider this a labor of love and I think it’s going to add to the culture of the city we’ve called home for the last 35 years. And I’m a 209 native. Hughson, representing!
PTB: I’ll be part-time at UC Merced beginning this fall, so in the summer and on my non-teaching days, I’ll be at Bookish. I’ve been too busy the last few months for any serious writing, but I’m looking forward to a new project soon.
MV: Besides selling books, how do you think Bookish will contribute to Modesto’s culture?
PTD:: Two closures in Modesto have really impacted us: Yesterday’s Books and Barkin’ Dog. We want Bookish to be a combination of those things–a celebration of books and booklovers, but also a community space where people can gather and feel welcomed. We both love the idea of a “third space” beyond work and home, and since the pandemic people have been craving those spaces in their lives.
MV: What can a person expect when they enter Bookish?
PTD: We want to be a welcoming space where you can meet a friend for a cup of coffee while your kiddos listen to storytime, where you can spend an hour browsing books and getting recommendations from our team, or where you can find the perfect gift for a friend. (We gift wrap, too!)
MV: Will you host live events and guest speakers?
WD: That’s definitely the plan. While our hours will be 10-6 to begin, we will definitely have special events and gatherings after that. They could be a poetry reading, or a silent book club, or maybe even something like a storyslam. We hope to be a regular stop for authors on book tours as well.
MV: Besides shopping and buying books, how can Modesto best support this project?
PTD: While we’ll primarily sell books, folks can always stop in for a cup of coffee. We’re thrilled to be working with Volente Coffee Roasters in Modesto, which supports some of the most vulnerable people in our community. We’re also working with local artists and artisans who make greeting cards, bookmarks, journals, stickers, hats, totes and more, and we’ll have plants from Bruha Studio. Also, we’ll be supporting local writers by carrying their books in our store. If you’re an audiobook listener, we can help you sign up for Libro.fm, which is a great alternative to Audible and supports local bookstores.
MV: Describe your perfect Modesto day?
WD: Walking our dogs on Virginia Trail and heading to a place like Good Day Lucille or LoFi diner or the Bakeshop for breakfast. Finding a good place to read a book or listen to music for a couple hours, maybe Graceada or Pike Park, which is in our neighborhood. There’s a new board game cafe in town, so maybe checking out what is happening at Meeple Valley. And evening would be a movie or event at The State followed by a pinball game and a pint with friends at Contentment Brewing.
MV: Final question, Beatles or Stones?
It’s Beatles for the both of us. They were an amazing band for a long time and you will probably hear some of their songs at Bookish periodically. We were fortunate enough to see Ringo Starr when he came to Will’s hometown of Hughson, of all places. Pretty amazing. Will is particularly glad you didn’t throw Led Zeppelin into the question, because that would have been far more difficult to answer.
Please visit Bookish!
www.bookishmodesto.com<www.bookishmodesto.com>
811 Roseburg Ave, Modesto
@bookishmodesto
209-408-8067
Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting – April 4, 11am
Hours: Tues – Sat 10am -6pm
