Chapter Two: Kwame Spearman Opens Denver Book Society in Uptown

Sometimes, things go as planned.

Last year, Westword caught up with Denver entrepreneur Kwame Spearman, former Tattered Cover CEO-turned 2023 mayoral candidate, about a new venture. He called it the Denver Book Society, and he’d already found the perfect place to house it: 17th and Humboldt, inside what used to be the much-missed Humboldt Kitchen + Bar and the possibly even more-missed Strings. There’s lots of Denver history within those walls; lots of special occasions spent, memories made. Which is exactly what Spearman wanted: a gathering place. A destination for Denverites to come together and communicate, learn from the written word, and each other. Participate in community, embrace a third space that’s too often missing in our increasingly digitally shut-in world.

That was the plan, anyway — and it’s now open, just like Spearman and partner Rich Garvin envisioned.

Denver Book Society has actually been open on and off for a few weeks now (just not regular hours), for events and the like, so there’s a soft opening of sorts. But as of February 21, the coffee will be flowing, and in a few short weeks, a liquor license will allow for wine and the like. It’s all in keeping with what Spearman identified as his inspiration: the late and lamented BookBar, which closed its doors in 2022 after a too-brief near-decade in business.

Spearman says there won’t be an official grand opening event for DBS. “I’m not in love with the concept of grand openings for two reasons,” Spearman says. “One, it’s just too hard to be ready for something like that.” He recalls opening the Colorado Springs Tattered Cover back in 2022. “It stressed everyone out, and it’s so tough to give everyone a good first impression that way. Not great. And secondly, it attracts a different kind of attention; we don’t necessarily want the pomp and circumstance. We really just want to get the word out naturally by opening our doors and doing our thing in the best way we can.”

That philosophy is right in line with that of Denver Book Society, a name which purposefully excludes the word “store.” Because retail, while it’s part of how DBS will survive and thrive, isn’t the focal point. It’s the society — the culture, the people, their passions, and how they take it in and put it out into the world — that’s more important. “There’s nothing better than books to facilitate conversation,” says Spearman. “You can have disagreement, engagement, alignment — it would be amazing if we as a city could get back to that.”

“Rich and I are serious about creating that third space,” Spearman adds, referring back to what DBS’s website says: that this is more about “providing a space built for belonging.” That’s something that extends not only to welcoming up-and-coming writers to read from their works, but also to embracing small print publishers and big books alike.

Meanwhile, local coffee roasters, bakers, and small farms were invited to provide a rotating, seasonal menu of food and drink at the café and wine bar. All of which is designed to be enjoyed along with a curated selection of books at author readings, creative workshops, story hours, poetry nights and community gatherings — or just over a morning latte or an evening malbec.

Part of that curation of books will be the inclusion of a Westword shelf, which Spearman says they’ll build from the spotlights and recommendations made by the arts and culture writers of this very publication. “It’s all about recognizing the good work being done in the city,” Spearman says.

Recognition of good work is something that Spearman recalls from his childhood, when Clara Villarosa’s African American bookshop, The Hue-Man Experience, sat near the corner of Park Avenue West and Champa Street. “Joyce [Meskis, of Tattered Cover] would sometimes be criticized for not having enough Black representation in what she carried,” Spearman says. “But what people didn’t realize was that this was by design. She was doing that on purpose in order to help Clara. It was an engagement that used to characterize Denver retail. It was beautiful, it really was.”

One of the unique features of Denver Book Society is that it offers a membership for those locals who want some bonus material along with their patronage. For $120 annually, subscribers will enjoy members-only gatherings, early registration for book clubs, event discounts, and special surprises. They’ll also get a DBS tote bag and enamel pin, along with a monthly newsletter. “It’s all about creating community,” says Spearman. “And it’s just one of the ways we’re reaching for that. We’ve met so many people who own the businesses here in Uptown. We feel so welcomed, and the foot traffic has been surprisingly strong. People are coming out.”

Which is, of course, the point of it all. “What’s most important to me,” Spearman says, “is that people can come here, either as a group or by themselves, and interact with other people. Everyone wants that, needs that. Having a conversation with the person next to you. We need more of that in the world. Books are just the amazing and inspirational conduit.”

Denver Book Society,1700 Humboldt Street, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For more information on memberships, events, and more, see its website.