One Long Celebration for Joseph-Beth Booksellers

Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington, Kentucky, the first of the current five bookstores in the Joseph-Beth Group founded by Neil and Mary Beth Van Uum, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a storewide sale in its completely refurbished 40,000-square-foot space. From May 4 through May 6, loyal customers and newcomers alike can save 20 percent on all purchases and take part in a number of special events, including a writing contest, raffles, and cafe cookbook promotions.

According to Michele Sulka, vice president of marketing for the Joseph-Beth Group, the store's 20th anniversary was technically in November 2006 "But," she said, "we have been in a celebratory mode since then. We just finished our second annual Bluegrass Festival of Books." The one-day event, held on April 21 at the Lexington Center, attracted 6,000 participants who met authors and attended a variety of panel discussions and book-themed meals. The roster of well-known authors included Paula Deen, Bobbie Ann Mason, and Sean Clancy, author of the new book Barbaro: The Horse Who Captured America's Heart (Eclipse). The Kentucky Derby, which Barbaro won in 2006, will be held this weekend 75 miles away in Louisville.

"[This weekend] we have a lot of things planned," said Sulka. "There will be some great raffles -- we have lots of signed books from the festival -- and prizes for our Joseph-Beth Writing Contest. People wrote about the bookstore in 100 words or less, and we'll announce the winners. Over 50 people entered, and there are so many wonderful stories. We'll display them at the store, and there will be a reception in the [Joseph-Beth] bistro for the winners."

The Joseph-Beth Group has stores in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cleveland and Cincinnati, Ohio, and in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1997, upon the retirement of the owners of Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Joseph-Beth acquired those Tennessee-based stores, which now include Davis-Kidd in Nashville and Davis-Kidd in Memphis. --Nomi Schwartz