Over the Transom, Into the Shop
It begins with the window display. Transom Bookshop delights, with colorful books that look like they’ve lined up on a bouncy ball floor—a vintage typewriter nearby, caught in the middle of composing her latest manuscript.
From there, you meet friendly staff like Michael who’ll hand you your very first copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (and you wonder why you’ve taken this long to add it to your home library).
Owner Chris Steib absolutely inspires. When asked about his background before he opened Transom, he shares:
“Like many liberal arts majors, I ran the whole gamut of jobs throughout my career. I started off teaching high school English and tutoring in LA,, held a few managerial roles at Barnes & Noble, edited a (now defunct) literary magazine, and wrote speeches for execs at NBC and GE. I then took a 15-year digital detour, working as a web designer and product manager, and eventually a strategy consultant for tech startups, while mentoring managers and teaching college courses. If there’s such a thing as a ‘conventional’ path to bookshop ownership, I’m pretty sure that isn’t it—but this one has worked wonders for me.”
Says Chris, “As a book buyer, I’m a gatekeeper to a dream, and I take that seriously.” As such, he’s open to carrying titles by local authors, and he’s got some creative ways to help authors even if he doesn’t put their books on his limited-space shelves.
You can count the ways he’s dreamed up, in this little list from Chris:
So I’ve started inviting authors to be ‘guest booksellers’ – I pretty much just let them hang out and chat up my customers. They get to recommend their favorite books, hand-sell and sign their own, and spend time on the frontlines. I’ve been pairing that with online interviews and heavy social promotion for their books. We shake it up a little from event to event with giveaways and photo ops and such, little touches that the authors want to bring.”
Transom is a fairly small shop, but it carries a fabulous set of highly-curated books (including our favorite Edward Gorey!)…
Besides the obvious elements of a book store (books, books, books!), you’ll also notice a few standouts about Transom Bookshop:
how the light plays…
the gorgeous tin ceilings…
a book that (oh my!) has been shot through (Transom was host to a filming set, and the book was left behind as evidence)…
cool “sideline” products (including, designed by Chris, a “Read Your Head Off” tote that nods (headlessly) to the Sleepy Hollow legend of the region)…
a poetry section that really sings…
a quietly playful paper boat and paper airplane display, crafted from old books…
For maximum delight, we suggest you visit Transom yourself, if you ever make it to Tarrytown. Be sure to sally over to Muddy Water afterwards and get the best iced mocha we’ve had yet. Bring along a book you picked up from Transom, and your day will be complete.
Photos by L.L. Barkat, with the exception of the Chris Steib portrait from Transom’s website.
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Read a full interview with Transom Bookshop’s owner Chris Steib
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Bethany says
What a charming and inspired place to take in the beauty of books, words, and their makers! So glad you shared.
L.L. Barkat says
Thanks, Bethany. 🙂 It really is a fun little place to find some light for one’s day.