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When Tiffany Dockery sought to open a business in her neighborhood of Bed-Stuy, her approach was threefold: create a community for Black individuals (relevant given the shrinking population of the historically Black neighborhood), offer a third space for the queer community, particularly lesbians, and center it around her favorite medium: books. It seems she has done exactly that at Gladys Books & Wine.
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Operating August of last year, the bi-level bookstore and wine bar has already hosted countless literary panels and reading nights next to trans spades nights and burlesque revues. It all ladders up to Gladys' core mission: centering Black queer stories and fostering community connections. And to celebrate its first Black History Month in business, Dockery released her theme for the month: Loving Blackness as Political Resistance. All February long, the bookstore will be hosting events surrounding Black love, to which Dockery says is the power that "always sustained us." Check out her list of recommended reads below.
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The Way Love Goes: A Guide to Building a "Beaurtiful" and Everlasting Relationship by Da Brat & Judy
“Perfect for couples seeking practical wisdom and inspiration. This guide offers honest, heartfelt advice on building lasting partnership from two women who've navigated their own beautiful love story. We were lucky enough to host Da Brat and Judy in our store. They are hilarious, and the love shared between them is so real and palpable.”
Beloved by Toni Morrison
“A profound exploration of love's power to heal and haunt. She examines the bonds between mothers and daughters, lovers and community with breathtaking literary artistry. Black love is inherently complicated and complex, and Morrison takes so much care to explore the depths of those complexities in this novel. There is a reason she won the Pulitzer Prize for this book!”
Love Is a Dangerous Word: The Selected Poems of Essex Hemphill by Essex Hemphill
“For lovers of poetry and LGBTQ+ voices. Hemphill's powerful work celebrates Black queer love and desire with unflinching honesty and beauty.”
Communion: The Female Search for Love by bell hooks
“People love hook's book, "All About Love." It is a top seller for us at Gladys. But this book speaks directly to women navigating relationships. It is a beautiful blend of self-help and cultural critique. The perfect pick for any woman who wants to rethink her approach to love."
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
“A stunning blend of Afrofuturism and ancestral memory. It has become my new favorite book, and I have not been able to stop telling every person I meet about it. This short but powerful book explores love, trauma and healing through the story of a water-dwelling people descended from the enslaved Africans who were thrown overboard in the middle passage.”
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
“A timeless classic about survival, sisterhood and transformative love. Reading this book in high school changed my life, and witnessing Celie's love of herself (despite unimaginable trauma and loss) and her love of Shug Avery were canon events in my queer awakening.”
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
“This book is a gorgeous and heartbreaking exploration of identity, family and the complexity of being truly seen and loved. I am a huge fan of Awaeke's work and could not put this book down. It is so tender and deeply evocative. I think we desperately need complex Black queer and trans stories right now, and we get just that in this masterpiece.”