I had the pleasure of meeting Cord Moreski at a recent poetry reading in Troy, NY and I really liked his energy and poetic style, and I’m really happy he took a few minutes to tell me about his favorite bookshop. Cord has a new book coming out from Between Shadows Press called Apartment Poems and I suggest grabbing a copy when you can. Check out his website and drop by Labyrinth Books if you’re near Princeton, NY!

Favorite Bookshop: Labyrinth Books (Princeton, New Jersey)

1. How did you discover the shop, and what do you remember about your first experience there?

I discovered the shop about a decade ago. Originally, I was at the Princeton Record Exchange(an awesome record store to check out), and I came across the bookstore when I was walking back to my car. I remember seeing tables of books outside, and I knew I totally had to go inside.

2. Does the shop have a particular vibe, theme, or atmosphere that stands out?

The vibe of Labyrinth Books is very warm and inviting. The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. It’s a great place to get lost in for a few hours.

3. What books have you bought there in the past?

I bought a lot of books from there. My favorite ones would be Frank O’ Hara’s Meditations in an Emergency, Ted Kooser’s Flying at Night, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, William Carlos Williams’s Selected Poems, and Raymond Carver’s Fires: Essays, Poems, Stories.

4. What part of the shop would we find you hanging out in the most?

Besides gravitating towards the poetry section on the first floor, I would probably be down in the bookstore’s basement. There are a lot of cool used and rare books down there. The basement also has some really fun reading events. I was fortunate to see the 22nd U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith read(she signed a copy of Wade in the Water: Poems for me), and I also saw Michael Dickman. The basement is where all the poets hang out.