I had a delightful adventure driving up to Gainsville, Florida for the first time and went to The Lynx Bookstore. On the drive north, I drove past The Villages, which is a cream and white vast sea of look alike buildings for Florida retirees. The place seemed to take up an entire county. I was told about the “Loofah Code” where different colored loofahs are hung from antennas of cars to represent sexual kinks. A white loofah is for novices and beginners, while yellow is for a mid level swap, someone looking for fun but still nervous. Another theory is that the loofahs just help them find their car in crowded parking lots. There is a vast variety of cars, so I prefer the first theory. I was zooming past on the highway so I didn’t stop to investigate.
In the Lynx, I met local author Tricia Booker who had her dog Bayou. Bayou was in training as a service dog. She is still a 1 year old pup and everything caught her nervous attention. In her excitement she snoot booped over a small book stand, but from that point on she reined in any bull in the china shop tendencies. Bayou listened intently to Tricia’s every word.
Tricia Booker is an award winning journalist and writer of creative non-fiction. She wrote a memoir titled, The Place Of Peace and Crickets, which I ordered and plan to read soon. She has a substack called My Left Hook where she writes about life as a warrior mom. I have been following the substack and find myself inspired with each reading. I got to ask her about how her sub-stack was started and it is a direction I need to move in myself.
The Lynx bookstore was founded by Florida author Lauren Groff. Tricia loves Lauren’s writing. The beautifully crafted language draws her in. She told me about Lauren Groff’s book Vaster Wilds which is about a young girl who was brought to America on a slave ship. She manages to escape captivity and has to learn how to live off the land. I like history and tales of survival, so once again I am hooked.
I picked up a tiny sketchbook which had the title of The Creative Ramblings of a Restless Mind. It looks worn and tattered before even being used. I love that. I loved the vibes of this independent bookstore that also had a coffee shop. The Latte I had was delicious, though my fat fingers had difficulty figuring out the plastic lid. There were little hand written notes under many of the books. These were thoughts by staff who had read the book. If you weren’t sure what to buy, the musings might help.
Most important, is that many of the books at The Lynx are currently challenged or banned in Florida, as well as books by BIPOC authors, LGBTQ+ authors, and Florida authors. Here the marginalized have a voice. The Lynx stands as a beacon of inclusivity as we enter a time of national chaos.