Yumi Matsuo
Audio By Carbonatix
This has been a tough time for independent bookstores, with West Side Books shrinking both its size and focus, and the Bookies changing hands…again.
And then last month, Kwame Spearman started a new chapter when he opened the Denver Book Society, a bookstore at 1700 Humboldt Street, and in the process startd a war of the words. What was with the red shirts, which seemed corporate at best and MAGA at worst? What was with the name, when there was already a Denver Book Swap Society? What was he going to do right here, when his stint as an owner of the Tattered Cover bookstore had gone so wrong?
And what was with that comment about ICE that Spearman had made when he ran for Denver mayor? It was all the stuff of a great novel, but these questions were all too real, and in their comments on the Westword Facebook page and Westword Instagram, as well as in emails, readers have continued the conversation:
I would hope Kwame would address all these concerns: It’s time for him to be an “open book,” so to speak.
There are so many indie bookstores in Denver not owned by people who support ICE that there’s really no reason to give money to such a foul person.
Stopped by this weekend. Beautiful space, nice selection. Was so excited to see how busy y’all were on your first opening weekend. Huzzah to independent book sellers!
Kwame Spearman bankrupted Tattered Cover. Then he ran for mayor of Denver, promising that police would cooperate with ICE. He was polling at 1% when he dropped out of the race. Then he ran for an at-large School Board seat and was soundly defeated 27% to 62%! Denver loves books and local businesses. Denver does not like Kwame.
Tattered Cover was in trouble before Kwame stepped in. But he’s certainly stepped in it with this one!
Asked about the ICE comment controversy early last week, Spearman told Westword: “I want to be very clear: I am not and have not been in support of ICE. Any statement suggesting otherwise is a deep mischaracterization of my views and is deeply offensive to me. My position has been consistent and grounded in my values, and I reject any narrative that implies otherwise.”
Later, he addressed the issue on the Denver Book Society Instagram:
More than three years ago, I went on a radio interview where I was asked several questions about ICE. During that conversation, I stated clearly — three separate times — that I supported, and still support, Denver as a sanctuary city. I also said that everyone who lives in Denver deserves equal rights and protection, regardless of their immigration status. That has always been my view.
The conversation also touched on other municipalities. I said that I was running for mayor of Denver, and that other cities would ultimately make decisions based on what their governments and citizens chose. That statement was later interpreted in an article as me being “pro-ICE,” which was not my position and not what I was trying to communicate.
There’s more to that response, which you can read on the Denver Book Society Instagram. That’s also where Spearman promises to continue the conversation regarding ICE and other issues:
We’re going to do some community conversations on this topic with local authors and community leaders. We’re going to be posting events in the next 72 hours. Trust us – we want to engage. We also want the facts to be correct, too.
According to Spearman, those events will start with story hours and gatherings at which concerns will be addressed; watch for another big announcement mid-week.
In the meantime: Have you been to Denver Book Society? What did you think? What do you think of the controversies? Post a comment or share your thoughts at editorial@westword.com.
