Politics & Prose

As you might guess, Politics & Prose carries a lot of both, plus a large section that is set aside for children and teenagers, and there’s a coffee shop downstairs too. The store is much more than just a thriving independent bookshop, it’s a much-loved institution and a must-stop for prominent authors who are on the reading-tour circuit. Carla Cohen, the shop’s well-known founder and co-owner, died in late 2010; two former Washington Post journalists, married couple Bradley Graham and Lissa Muscatine, took over the following year.