Elysia Smith is the owner of Irvington’s Vinyl and Book’s and is the author of Unruly. Elysia is featured in multiple interviews Wax Poetics, Kristine Esser Slentz in OYEDRUM, and much more. Elysia is also a poet and has many of her works posted to her website, and blog.
(Natalee Bohanon): First, can you tell us your origin story of how you came to be the owner of Irvington Books & Vinyl? What drew you to this opportunity? What was it like when you first started the store? How did you get your name out there?
(Elysia Smith): I opened Irvington Vinyl & Books over 7 years ago when I was just 26 years old. After visiting the store as it existed at the time, two stores owned by two separate people in the same space, Bookmama’s owned by Kathleen Angelone and the original Irvington Vinyl owned by Rick Wilkerson of Missing Link fame, I became enamored with the space pretty quickly, only to find out it was closing as both of the original owners wanted to retire. I tend to tell people I jumped at the opportunity because I am a maniac. I felt like I could save the store, so I wanted to try. I started by writing a business plan thinking I’d collaborate with local DJs and create more of a co-op space. I was able to secure an investor based on this pitch but unfortunately after leading me on for two months he decided to back out only a couple days before the original owners planned to officially shut their doors. Wracking my brain, I tried to think through friends and family that might be able to help me. I called a family friend on the off chance. He felt like investing in me and was able to convince him of my idea immediately. Everything at the time happened so fast. I had no idea what I was really getting myself into. The first 2 years of running the store were a huge learning curve, but thankfully at that time there was only one other bookstore in the city, and only a small handful of record stores. I was able to figure out the ins and outs of running a business as a sole proprietor without the anxiety of failure looming as hard as it could have because people were so genuinely excited to have another cultural space in Indianapolis.
(NB): What do you love about owning Irvington Books and Vinyl, and what are some of the challenges in doing so?
(ES): I love being my own boss. I was definitely born insubordinate and have always struggled with being told what to do (even when people are well-meaning)! I also love the hunt. Finding used books and records is my passion and over the years I’ve gotten pretty good at sourcing very unique finds. The challenge in running a business like this is that you have to be able to pivot constantly. You can’t just write a plan and hope it’ll last you when everything around you is changing. For example, the pandemic could have wrecked us but instead, I was able to secure a low interest loan through the SBA that allowed me to expand our offerings of new books and records which tend to sell well to our “walk-ins,” i.e. people who didn’t intentionally come to IV&B for what it specifically offers and just want records or books “in general.” However, a few years later in 2023 Indianapolis saw an influx of not one, not two, but nine new bookstores open in the city. As you can imagine this was stressful for me. While I never want to encourage people to have a scarcity mindset, there are very real economics at play when this amount of “competition” arises out of nowhere. Again, I had to pivot hard to keep our offerings unique. Here, I decided to stop carrying so many new books despite the fact that this is what garnered our initial success as a book retailer. Making this choice seemed simple to me though. Of the nine stores that opened only one other store carries used books. So, if I wanted to reduce the competition, I would have to carry the best used books in the city. Which I can proudly say, I think we currently have an excellent and diabolically weird selection both in vinyl and in books. However, the pivots never ever stop. Even when you’re tired. Even when you think you’ve done everything you possibly can, there’s always a way to refine or improve your offerings.
(NB): In what way does being a bookstore owner inspire you in your writing?
(ES): Truthfully, being a bookstore owner doesn’t inspire my writing at all. I’d tell anyone earnestly that if you want to be a writer, be a writer, because owning a business will eat up your time and life before you can blink. In an optimistic world, you’d think that meeting new people all the time would have a positive impact on my writing but because my interactions are predicated on people wanting to purchase items from me or desiring my attention in a new era of instant gratification, my experiences with people can be tedious. However, negativity aside, being able to provide space for artists and writers through the shop does inspire me personally, even if it doesn’t inspire my writing.
(NB): I recently saw that you were selected to be part of a writing residency in Australia. What drew you to this residency program, and to Australia? What do hope to accomplish while you are there?
(ES): I applied to the Edenhope Artist Residency (EAR) because I’d heard really good things about the organizer from friends who attended NES which is another artist residency in Iceland. EAR is in its infancy so I figured applying and getting in would be easier than with an established residency and I was right! I was very fortunate to be chosen. My experience at EAR was incredibly productive towards the research I’ve been needing to do as my novel has quite a bit of historical context.
(NB): On the Irvington Books and Vinyl website, you list two community initiatives: Queery: A Radical Queer Book Group, and R/Evolution: bill pay support for BIPOC artist in Indianapolis. Can you tell us more about these projects?
(ES): Queery has been around for the entire time the shop has been open. I’m so honored that this book club found us and that it has sustained itself so long. Queery reads books from the queer cannon, new lit by queer authors, books with queer characters, and more. Find Queery on Instagram @queerybookclub. The R/Evolution Fund is a no questions asked bill pay grant for BIPOC artists that I founded in 2021 after the murder of George Floyd. We’ve given out over $15,000 in grants in the last four years but unfortunately, I have really slowed down on fundraising last year as we yet again found ourselves in a space where we need to pivot in order to stay afloat after the coffee shop across from me closed its doors last spring. My goal is to revive The R/ev Fund in summer of 2025 and get back to giving out at least one $500 grant monthly through regular fundraising.
(NB): What would you like The Broken Plate readers to know about Irvington Books & Vinyl?
(ES): I want the readers of the Broken Plate to know that Irvington Vinyl & Books is an unapologetically queer and analog hold out in Indianapolis. It’s a place you always knew existed but couldn’t find – until now. Come see us.