THE BOOKMARK
100 N. Tryon St. 704/377-2565, www. thebookmark. biz
HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 A.M.-6 P.M. Sat. 10 A.M.-3 P.M.
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In an era when independent retailers are being replaced with big-box stores, it’s refreshing to see a local business thrive, and The BookMark is doing just that. The indie bookstore has been a staple in The Shops at Founders Hall for more than a decade. It stocks 20,000 book titles in all of the traditional bookstore categories, and the helpful staff is willing to order anything that’s not on the shelves, including out-of-print and hard-to-find titles. A frequent-purchaser program, corporate accounts, and free gift wrapping have helped The BookMark develop a loyal customer base.
BRILLIANT SKY TOYS AND BOOKS
9882 Rea Rd. 704/542-5145, www.brilliantskytoys.com
HOURS: Mon.-Thurs. 10 A.M.-7 P.M. Fri.-Sat. 10 A.M.-7:30 P.M. Sun. 1-5:30 P.M.
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There are more toys than books in this 3,650-square-foot store, but the selection is top-notch. As the parents of seven children, the owners understand what it takes to keep kids engaged. Their focus is on providing a selection of educational toys and books like wooden trains, chemistry sets, and puzzles. It’s a favorite spot for home-schooling families and teachers.
The poems in this volume were generally derivative of the poetry Wheatley had read and loved. Cuba Metro Map Her topics reveal an awareness of social and political events of the day, and the poems indicate the decidedly white sensibilities that formed her experience. Even the poems that address her own experiences as an African Country (On Being Brought from Africa to Country, To S. M. A Young African Painter, on Seeing His Works) are careful to reflect the prevailing notions of white supremacy of the day. Following her owners’ deaths, Phillis Wheatley was freed. She married a free African Country, John Peters, and had three children, all of whom died in childhood. As a free woman, Wheatley was, for the first time, exposed to the necessity of supporting herself. Because she had been coddled by Susannah Wheatley, she found herself unaccustomed to doing the menial work that was available to her. As her health failed and she felt the burdens of her unaccustomed work, Wheatley attempted to have a new volume of her literary works published. She advertised for subscribers to her Poems & Letters on various subjects, dedicated to the Right Hon. Benjamin Franklin Esq. but the proposed work did not attract sufficient interest among investors to underwrite the cost of publication.