Photography by Mark Pannebecker
After opening in Benton Park last month, Spine Indie Bookstore & Café (1976 Arsenal) is poised to host the inaugural events in its reading and music series this weekend.
On Friday, Seattle-based poet and musician Sami Ridge reads, followed by Quin & Stephen on Saturday. Then, next weekend, St. Louis author Kathy L. Brown reads on Friday, and Bren O’Connor and Oddsoul and the Sound perform next Saturday. Every author featured in the shop is invited to book a Friday night author showcase.
Owner Mark Pannebecker first envisioned creating a place to bring readers and writers together in South City years ago. “The epiphany I had, this vision, was having an indie bookstore that deals exclusively with independent authors and publishers,” he recalls.
Spine opened five weeks ago in a location overlooking Benton Park. “Our neighbors have been tremendous,” he says. “People have been coming and buying these indie authors who are unfamiliar, taking a chance, being very supportive.”
Pannebecker himself is an indie author; his book Fraternity of Fractures is a decadent '80s update to Cyrano de Bergerac, set in St. Louis. He’s also the founder of the St. Louis Indie Book Fair, which will be at Spine this spring. In addition to his previous work as a general contractor, Pannebecker had been the proprietor of Third Floor Gallery on Washington Avenue and booked events in a nearby warehouse space. “I’ve always been involved in the arts and the creative side of things,” he says. “Like a lot of artists, we have day jobs. I’m kind of retired from that.”
Photography by Mark Pannebecker
These days, it’s all Spine, all the time. For the café component of the business, Pannebecker chose the local coffee, tea, and pastry suppliers that he considers the best. “I have Blueprint Coffee—it’s, in my opinion, the best coffee in St. Louis and that’s saying a lot because there’s a lot of good coffee out there," he says, adding that the shop offers Big Heart Tea and pastries are from De’Lish Emporium.
And there’s more in the works for Spine, Pannebecker adds, including podcasting, livestreams, discussion groups and storytelling. Stay tuned.
Spine Indie Bookstore & Café is open daily from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Check the website's calendar page for evening happenings.
