Decatur author Joshilyn Jackson is among those pitching in to help a bookstore affected by the North Carolina boycott.
As celebrities — including rocker Bruce Springsteen and writer Sherman Alexie — cancel North Carolina shows to protest state law HB 2, the so-called "bathroom law" — some businesses have been caught in the cross-fire.
Especially hurt are the small-margin local businesses, like Malaprops Bookstore/Cafe, in Asheville, which lost potential revenue when Alexie decided to skip an event there.
To the bookstore's rescue comes a host of writers, including Jackson ("The Opposite of Everything") and best-selling North Carolina novelist Sara Gruen ("Water for Elephants.") They will be joined by Jamie Mason ("Monday's Lie") and Kim Michele Richardson ("GodPretty in the Tobacco Field.")
They have created a “Kill the Bill” event that will include a cocktail party and a reading, in an attempt to help make up the difference. The event will take place May 18, when Alexie had been scheduled to appear. (Alexie will come to Decatur, instead, for a May 18 reading at the Little Shop of Stories.)
As reported in Publisher's Weekly, the event will partner with LGBT support organizations Campaign for Southern Equality, Tranzmission, Equality North Carolina, and the ACLU of North Carolina.
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