Northshore Magazine

52 nshoremag.com September 2014 Business ne surrounded by books. I wanted to tap back into my creativity." When Kent and her husband and busi- ness partner, Mike Gibson, discovered that the iconic Derby Square Bookstore was closing, they decided to take action. Kent explains, "Everyone knew about that old bookstore—it was especially no- table for its towering stacks of books that looked like they'd fall at any moment. People either loved it or were afraid of it." Interested in creating a bookstore experience that was more universal, Kent and Gibson purchased the place in its entirety. "Cobwebs and all," notes Kent. In the spirit of taking the old and mak- ing it new, they decided to preserve as much of the bookstore's historic charm as possible. "The interior of the store needed a total rehab," says Kent. "We stripped it down to its original brick walls and re- stored all the old windows, which are just beautiful. We like to think of ourselves as 'green' people and this was a chance for us to reuse a lot of the beautiful material left over from the old store." They repurposed shelves to build stairs and trim around the ceilings and floors, and since they didn't want a standard retail checkout counter, Kent revamped antique doors to create a one-of-a-kind counter that fits with the store's personality and reflects Salem's own historical character. Wicked Good Books inherited the for- mer store's books, too—they'll be selling them used in addition to new books. Kent didn't want to limit herself to used books, she explains, "I'm like a kid in a candy store with books. There are so many talented writers that need an out- let for their work, and we want to choose books that are of interest to all different types of people." Toward that end, they intend to carry New York Times bestsell- ers, as well as an eclectic mix of fiction, non-fiction, local interest, and self-help books that will appeal to Salem's resi- dents and tourists alike. Opening a bookstore has been both a family and a community effort for Kent. "I couldn't do it without my husband and partner," she says. "And my daughter-in- law, Taylor Carozzi, works full time in the store as well. It's been extremely hard work, but so rewarding. We've had terrific support from the community—people have stopped me in the street to thank me." Kent is opening the bookstore just as much for the community as she is for her- self. "We want to fill a void," she explains. "I just couldn't let the last independent bookstore in Salem go without a fight." To engage the community even fur- ther, Wicked Good Books will host book clubs and readings by local authors. "We put wheels on all the shelves, so that we can move them out of the way and create space for gathering in the center of the store," says Kent. "We want to be a book- store, a destination, and a meeting space for people from all around the North Shore." wickedgoodbookstore.com Family Affair: Kent's husband and daughter-in-law help run the bookshop. They sell both new and used books .

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