Today we’d like to introduce you to James Hush.
Hi James, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
We started started as a way to repurpose storage space in the back of my partner’s clothing and housewares store, Golden Hour. The plan originally was to sell a mix of antique and vintage items, including books. As I was painting a shelf in our shared back alley, some folks walked by and said “How exciting! We haven’t had a book shop in Lockhart in years” Right then and there I started planning on how to focus on books only. Over the years, the selection grew from one single shelf to more than 4,000 books. As I learned more about the other bookstores across Texas, I decided to focus on showcasing the best poetry selection that I could find. Last summer, we agreed that we both needed our own branding and defined spaces, and the Golden Hour Book Nook was as reborn as Colossus Books. Since we started, four more new bookstores have opened in Lockhart, each with their own focus and personality. We all hope that some day books will be as synonymous with Lockhart as BBQ is.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Some days it feels like nothing but obstacles. Small town retail is very dependent on the weather. Our building was built in 1900 so it is very hard to keep the climate temperate. In the summer and the winter it’s not uncommon for folks to walk in and walk right back out. This year has seen a major construction project that tore up all the roads and sidewalks downtown. While we were only inaccessible for a week, there was a good two month period where the construction made it appear from a distance that we were closed. I am very fortunate to have a full time job in manufacturing as there have been more than a few months where sales weren’t even enough to cover expenditures, let alone put money in my pocket.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Our focus is on 20th and 21st century poetry, primarily from the post-war era. Even the biggest bookstores, when you go to the poetry section, you might find one title each by prolific writers like Denise Levertov or Thom Gunn. We try to keep at least a half dozen of their books on the shelf at any given time. The only other store I’ve been to in the country that has a whole shelf of Bukowski in the original Black Sparrow Press editions is East Village Books in NYC, who was my inspiration in achieving the same. At this point I’m not shy about calling us “The Best Poetry Section in Texas”. I like to joke with my customers “If you ever find a shop with a better poetry room, tell me and I’ll go shop there myself”
The full time job keeps me busy, but I hope to branch out into publishing soon, focusing on re-issuing texts that have become unreasonably expensive due to their rarity. I’ve been working with the Austin Book Arts Center to learn the crafts of letterpress printing and hand binding books.
What makes you happy?
I love connecting with people over our shared love of books. It’s great when people leave with a giant stack of books so I can go buy more to replace them with, but some of my favorite interactions have been over an eight dollar paperback that someone hasn’t thought about since they read it in high school and you can tell they are so excited to dive back in. It’s not the wisest business strategy but I don’t like to rotate old stock out of the store because I genuinely believe each of the books in the store has a home where it is meant to be and I’m just waiting for the person to discover it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://colossusbooks.com
- Instagram: @colossusbooks
