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A resolution recognizing the 10th anniversary of Parnassus Books.
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WHEREAS, on November 16, 2021, Parnassus Books, the beloved independent bookstore located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, celebrated its 10th anniversary; and
WHEREAS, Parnassus Books is co-owned by novelist Ann Patchett and business partner Karen Hayes; and
WHEREAS, after the closure of the Davis-Kidd bookstore in December 2010 and Borders in May 2011, Hayes and Patchett realized the need for a smaller, more personalized independent bookstore that sold new books for all ages; and
WHEREAS, on November 16, 2011, Parnassus Books opened with Hayes as the managing owner and Patchett as the publicity machine and face of the store; and
WHEREAS, close to 3,000 people came through the bookstore on the grand opening celebration day and Parnassus Books garnered notable national attention; and
WHEREAS, The New York Times ran a front page article about the store on opening day, and a few months later after penning an essay in The Atlantic about the experience, Ann Patchett was invited to appear on The Colbert Report; and
WHEREAS, Parnassus partnered with the Nashville Public Library system and Humanities Tennessee to become a part of the wildly popular Salon@615 authors series which continues today. Over the last 10 years, the Salon@615 series has hosted nearly 200 nationally known authors and celebrities including Pat Conroy, Barbara Kingsolver, Jimmy Carter, Colson Whitehead, and Stephen King; and
WHEREAS, in 2012, the Salon@615 partnership gave then Mayor Karl Dean the framework to launch the Nashville Reads program, an annual citywide read to broaden Nashville’s literary horizons. The collective clout of the partnership enabled the Nashville Reads program to bring authors like Margaret Atwood and John Lewis to town; and
WHEREAS, that same year, Humanities Tennessee invited Parnassus to become their bookselling partner for the Southern Festival of Books, a festival which brings between 200 and 300 authors to Legislative Plaza for three days each fall; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the bookstore in Green Hills, Parnassus has a store within the Nashville airport and has an online literary magazine, Musing, which features author interviews, staff recommendations, Ann Patchett’s blog posts, and the infamous shop dog diaries; and
WHEREAS, online business has become so strong that Parnassus has staff dedicated to online sales and has had to rent office space to use as their shipping center. In 2016, Parnassus doubled the size of the bookstore to 5,000 square feet; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, the Parnassus Books Foundation was created to help fund the provision of books to children attending Title I schools, with plans to increase funding and giving in 2022. In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Shop Dogs of Parnassus was published, the sales of which will go to the Parnassus Foundation; and
WHEREAS, Parnassus continues to support the Nashville community by providing a 20% discount to K-12 teachers, hosting local school shopping nights to help raise funds for schools, providing sponsorships for local non-profits, and by supporting and promoting local authors through events, store displays, and social media; and
WHEREAS, over the last decade, Parnassus has made many “best bookstore” lists from around the world and has been featured in multiple national and international publications, including a recent essay in The New York Times by columnist and local author Margaret Renkl; and
WHEREAS, Parnassus has roughly 30 employees, providing them with health insurance and 401K benefits, and was able to keep all employees on payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in 2020; and
WHEREAS, Parnassus is renowned for their friendly and smart booksellers, thoughtful book recommendations and curated displays, their rotating cast of shop dogs, and for the unique, personalized experience that makes the store a truly special place for kids, adults, locals, and tourists; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council recognizes and celebrates the 10th anniversary of Parnassus Books and wishes them many more years of continued success.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. The Metropolitan Council hereby goes on record as recognizing the 10th anniversary of Parnassus Books.
Section 2. The Metropolitan Council Office is directed to prepare a copy of this Resolution to be presented to Parnassus Books Co-Owners Ann Patchett and Karen Hayes.
Section 3. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.