
This Alaska bookstore in Sarah Palin’s hometown isn’t backing down about its drag story time.
Respect and support to Wasilla, Alaska’s Black Birch Books, who’re getting a lot of online flack for announcing a drag story time in June. But despite a slew of negative, and sometimes threatening, comments and reviews, Black Birch owner Taylor Jordan is going on with the show. As she told Alaska News Source:
It’s really important to me that I allow commenting on all of my posts and events, and I try to not delete very many because people are able to actually voice how they feel about something. That is an important thing—that everyone gets a say.
Jordan added that she wants to make her store a safe place for everyone in the community, which includes LGBTQ people.
There’s such a large group in this community, and sometimes they feel like they don’t have a safe space. I’m delighted to accommodate whatever anybody needs.
It is no easy thing in this day and age to stand-up to the ill-informed online hate around drag story times, along with the potential for real-world intimidation. But with a store motto like, “Let’s crack some spines,” Jordan is clearly not the type to back down. So if you’re even thinking about buying a book today, maybe do it from Black Birch?

Jonny Diamond
Jonny Diamond is the Editor in Chief of Literary Hub. He lives in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains with his wife and two sons, and is currently writing a cultural history of the axe for W.W. Norton. @JonnyDiamond, JonnyDiamond.me