Thank you all for a very successful (and our first) Independent Bookstore Day!
Personal reflections from your bookseller...
Here we are, well into May and already due for another installment of this newsletter, which has taken on a far more personal tone than perhaps originally intended. When I first stepped into this role as your local bookseller, I envisioned writing these newsletters in a depersonalized, third-person voice, primarily as a digest of the latest bookshop news. However, after a few months in this position, my perspective shifted. This relationship we are cultivating is, in fact, deeply personal.
As I thoughtfully select each title for our shelves, I always consider what you—our valued patrons—might appreciate, find inspiring, or take comfort in, and I anticipate the meaningful conversations sparked by the content we curate. On your side of this exchange, you invite your bookseller, our highlighted authors, and their creative works into your world and mental space, sometimes experiencing a range of emotions—joy, grief, anger, or frustration—that you may not have anticipated when first cracking open a book cover. Allowing ourselves to be moved, even transformed, by what we read is an act of courageous vulnerability and trust in the power of the written word. It is precisely for this reason we chose the following Kafka quote for the first iteration of our bookmark: “A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.”
May was first designated as Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949 by Mental Health America (then known as the National Committee for Mental Hygiene). If you’ve visited us this past week, you may have already noticed our window display, which features titles focused on various aspects of mental and emotional well-being. While I greatly enjoy getting lost (and found) in a good piece of fiction, I also dedicate significant time to books about mental health, trauma, and healing—because, let’s face it, being human on this Earth is no easy feat. There’s truly no meaningful way to discuss mental health without delving into the personal, unless I simply bombard you with terms and statistics.
Without sharing my entire life story (I'll save that for my memoir-writing practice), my mental health journey is multigenerational, marked by both pain and resilience, and far from linear. By the time this newsletter reaches your inbox, it will mark the 11th anniversary of my younger brother’s death, two weeks before the 10th anniversary of my mother’s suicide, with my birthday sandwiched between these solemn dates.
I used to view May as the very best month—with increasing sunshine, lilacs in full bloom, and the promise of summer right around the corner. Then my family endured a devastating two-year period during which the legacy of mental illness, exacerbated by addiction and poverty, profoundly altered our lives. By the end of those two years, we had lost five family members. Now May is the most challenging month on my calendar, despite its sunny outward appearances.
You might ask why I’m sharing such intimate details. It's because I suspect someone reading this is currently putting on a brave face, going through the motions of what's expected while silently struggling beneath the surface. The entire purpose of designating May as Mental Health Awareness Month is to raise awareness, reduce the stigma around mental health conversations, and emphasize the importance of mental well-being.
We cannot achieve this in isolation or remain confined within closets of shame. Neurodiversity is a spectrum; mental well-being is not a fixed state; and I doubt there’s a single person who hasn’t experienced some form of trauma that has taken an emotional toll. Our lives have become increasingly complex and disconnected—not just from one another (despite our digitally connected global society), but also from the natural world surrounding us. It doesn't require a psychologist or social scientist to illustrate the harm this disconnection inflicts on our psyches.
Yet, every day presents opportunities to step out of the shadows and name our struggles—not seeking sympathy, but signaling to others who are watching and listening: “You are not alone.” The bravery we exhibit in revealing what lies beneath our composed exteriors can encourage others to emerge from their own shadows.
Each of the titles featured below are more than just a recommendation; they have profoundly supported my own journey toward understanding and resilience. Books can indeed be both mirrors and companions, guiding us through our darkest moments and illuminating pathways toward healing. In the pages of a book, we find echoes of our own stories, proof that we aren't alone in the complexities of our mental and emotional lives.
I have offered this brief glimpse into my own inner landscape as both a point of connection and an invitation to bravely allow someone into yours. I sincerely believe we are all navigating this journey of life together, and if you recognize any part of your experience in what I’ve shared, please know Imprint Bookshop is your safe place.
No one needs to suffer alone; there is always someone willing to lend an ear to listen or a comforting hand. I warmly invite you to share your stories or the titles that have supported you on your own life’s journey.
Can you recall a book that felt like a lifeline during a difficult period in your own life?
What book do you return to again and again when you're seeking solace or understanding?
How has reading helped you to better understand or support someone else’s
mental health journey?
In gratitude for your witness and support,
John Blomgren
Proprietor & Bookseller
Imprint Bookshop
As we continue our exploration of Mental Health Awareness Month, I’d like to share a selection of books that have personally resonated deeply with me and which I frequently recommend to others on their own healing journeys. Each of these titles approaches mental and emotional health with compassion, insight, and profound wisdom, offering invaluable tools for understanding ourselves and the world around us:
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté
Maté’s compassionate approach to trauma, addiction, and chronic stress underscores the idea that these conditions are not personal failings but responses to a disconnected, overstressed society. His books illuminate the path toward healing through empathy, connection, and deep self-understanding.
Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari
A powerful exploration into the root causes of depression and anxiety, offering a transformative look at how reconnecting to community, meaningful work, and authentic relationships can significantly shift our mental wellbeing.
Attuned: Practicing Interdependence to Heal Our Trauma - and Our World by Thomas Hübl
A profound guide that bridges science, spirituality, and relational wisdom to address the collective trauma we carry and offers gentle, practical methods for restoring our innate capacity for connection and healing.
Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole
by Susan Cain
Cain masterfully reframes our understanding of sorrow and longing, showing us how embracing life’s melancholy can lead to greater creativity, connection, and a richer emotional existence.
p.s. "bittersweet" is one of my very favorite words for all that it encompasses of the human experience
What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing by Stephanie Foo
Foo courageously shares her personal journey with complex PTSD, interweaving powerful storytelling with rigorous exploration of the latest therapeutic approaches, ultimately offering hope and insight for anyone seeking to understand their own path toward healing.
Join us Wednesday, May 28th from 5:30–7pm for a special evening with award-winning biologist and author Thor Hanson, celebrating the release of his newest book, Close to Home — a powerful reflection on nature, climate, and the places we hold dear.
Hanson’s work is known for blending scientific insight with lyrical storytelling, and Close to Home is no exception. It’s a book that speaks directly to our moment, urging us to notice, care for, and defend the natural world that surrounds us.
✨ Reading and book signing □ Imprint Bookshop, Port Townsend
□ Books available for purchase and signing
LOCAL ORG SPOTLIGHT
The Benji Project is a Port Townsend-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting the mental and emotional well-being of Jefferson County youth. Through school and community-based programs—including summer camps, after-school sessions, and workshops for both teens and parents—they teach mindfulness and self-compassion skills grounded in the evidence-based Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens curriculum.
These programs help young people develop lifelong tools for managing stress, building emotional resilience, and fostering inner kindness. Their offerings are inclusive and accessible, with special programs like Pride Camp for LGBTQ+ youth and leadership opportunities for older teens. The Benji Project also engages the broader community through creative initiatives like youth-led art installations during Mental Health Awareness Month, sparking dialogue around mental health and belonging.
If you're interested in learning more or supporting their mission, visit thebenjiproject.org.
Proceeds from our Hardcovers for Hard Times campaign will go to support the vital youth mental health work of The Benji Project here in Port Townsend. $1 from every hardcover book purchased as part of the campaign will be donated directly to The Benji Project, helping to fund their mindfulness and self-compassion programs for local teens. It's a simple way to turn your reading habit into meaningful impact.
MEET OUR NEWEST BOOKSELLERS!
MISTY ADAIR
Greetings, readers! My name is Misty and I am delighted to say that I’ve joined the team at Imprint Bookshop. I moved to Port Townsend from Texas in November with my husband, John, and our elderly dachshund, Leo. After several years of visiting the PNW, we found no place more idyllic than Port Townsend and it became our dream to move to this charming maritime town.
As empty-nesters, we made the bold decision to move from Austin to the Olympic Peninsula to embrace a new pace of life in an extraordinary environment - and we have not been disappointed! While my husband is here mostly for the boats, I look forward to exploring more of the natural wonders of this area, as well as the local arts and music scene.
Along with my affinity for saying “y’all”, I brought with me a unique toolbox of experiences after establishing and running a popular indie bookstore with my co-founders over the last seven (highly eventful) years. I immediately connected with John over our mutual understanding of the immense amount of work and dedication it takes to run a thriving bookstore in uncertain times. It’s really a labor of love, love for books and for community and the conversations around books, that makes the job so important and so rewarding. I’m excited to bring my hard earned skills to an established and cherished bookstore to help expand what Imprint already has to offer.
I’ve been a life-long reader, but working in bookstores has made me realize just how much I will never have enough time to read. There is always another tempting book (or 3 or 5) waiting to be read! Currently, I’m reading The Sirens by Emilia Hart. It’s a story about sisterhood and generational trauma that volleys between the 1800’s and current times, told from the point of view of two different sisters. There is history, mystery and magical realism, all set upon the backdrop of the sea. You can probably guess that mermaids will be involved!
KELSEY FEIN
My name is Kelsey and I was born in Seattle, and have lived in the Port Townsend area on and off since 1990. I went to college at Cornish College of the Arts and have huge love for animals, nature, art, gardening, and books!
I have recently begun to learn throwing pottery on a wheel, I love quiet walks in the forest, and am always looking to expand my emotional intelligence. I have worked as a substitute at the Jefferson County Library and have volunteered with the Books to Prisoners program in Seattle.
I love that books open us to other worlds authors have created, how words get spun together in ways that make me feel held and tended to, and how books lead me down rabbit holes into realms I was once unaware of. I enjoy sharing this love with others, learning what books have changed people's lives and why, and I love being anywhere books are the main course- bookshops, libraries, or perusing through friends' collections. They feel like home to me, a safe place, and there are infinite stories to walk into and plunk myself down for a spell.
I recently read the classic Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and loved the dark moody atmosphere and the passion let loose from an otherwise mostly buttoned-up culture and time. I also enjoyed reading The Beet Queen by Louise Erdrich for the different characters eccentricities and brokenly human behavior, the dynamics between them, and how the author went deep into many of their voices.
Just a few new releases we are excited about this May....
Fredrik Backman's My Friends is a poignant exploration of teenage friendship and its enduring impact. The novel follows four teenagers whose deep bond shapes their lives and influences a stranger's fate twenty-five years later, highlighting themes of loyalty, grief, and the transformative power of art.
John's personal note: This is my very favorite Backman novel I have read so far. I nearly started reading it all over because there were so many lines I wanted to underline and remember.
Ocean Vuong's second novel, The Emperor of Gladness, centers on Hai, a 19-year-old Vietnamese American grappling with depression in East Gladness, Connecticut. After a suicide attempt, Hai forms an unexpected bond with Grazina, an elderly woman with dementia, leading to a narrative rich in themes of chosen family, intergenerational trauma, and the search for meaning amidst adversity.
John's personal note: Few books have impacted me and reinvigorated my reading habit as Vuong's first novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous so I have been anticipating this one for a very long time.
In this comprehensive biography, Ron Chernow delves into the life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known as Mark Twain, illuminating his journey from a Missouri printer's apprentice to America's first literary celebrity. Chernow examines Twain's literary genius, personal contradictions, and the complexities of his era, offering a nuanced portrait of a man who both mirrored and influenced American culture.
Robert Macfarlane's Is A River Alive? is a thought-provoking exploration of the idea that rivers are living entities deserving of legal rights. Through journeys across Ecuador, India, and Canada, Macfarlane weaves together travelogue, environmental philosophy, and cultural narratives to advocate for a reimagined relationship between humans and the natural world.
