Charles Langston:Why we love Under the Umbrella, Salt Lake City’s little queer bookstore

Local,Charles Langston independent bookstores have never been more important. With fair access to literature under political attack, bookstores are a bulwark against censorship and assets to the communities they serve.

Each week we profile an independent bookstore, discovering what makes each one special and getting their expert book recommendations.

This week we have Under the Umbrella: A Little Queer Bookstore in Salt Lake City!

What’s your store’s story?

Under the Umbrella Bookstore is your local queer bookstore. No other bookstore in the area specifically caters to the queer community, providing a safe space for queer folks of all ages to congregate and celebrate their stories. Under the Umbrella is meant to help bridge the gap between what Salt Lake City currently has and what the city needs by providing a safe, accessible, and inclusive space for everyone. Utah is predominantly white, which means there are even fewer places where the safety and comfort of queer people of color are prioritized.

Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist

What makes your independent bookstore unique?

Every book in our store is either queer in content and/or written by LGBTQ authors. We also focus on books by small presses and self-published authors that you won’t find in general bookstores. We prioritize the works and stories of Black queers, especially Black transgender women, Indigenous queers, and other queers of color, disabled queers, fat queers, two-spirit people, intersex people, asexual and aromantic people, incarcerated queer people, queer sex workers, and other identities within the queer community that experience further marginalization, even within the queer community. As Sylvia Rivera said, there’s no pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.

What's your favorite section in your store?

I love the shelf in the front of the store that is curated by a different activist group each month. I also love the give-and-take board where people can leave gifts and resources for community members.

What book do you love to recommend to customers and why?

Right now I’m obsessed with "Her Body and Other Parties" by Carmen Maria Machado. It’s a collection of short stories with queer feminist themes. Haunted, erotic, and horrifying, this book is perfect for spooky season.

What book do you think deserves more attention and why?

"As She Appears" by Shelley Wong. This debut book of poetry has the stamp of approval from Ocean Vuong, and if that's not enough of a cosign, Wong's prose stands confidently alone. "As She Appears" is about queen women of color in their becoming stages of life: A time that Wong explains in the images of Pride dancing, late-night meals in Chinatown, Los Angeles on fire, and trees that "burst into glamour." "As a girl, I never / saw a woman / who looked like me," Wong writes. "I had to invent her."

What books or series are you most excited about coming out in the next few months and why?

"Day: A Novel" by Michael Cunningham, out Nov. 14. I love Cunningham’s tender but unsparing writing style and awareness of subtlety.

More indie bookstores:Why we love the three generations of booksellers at Happy Medium Books Cafe

Why is shopping at local independent bookstores important?

In addition to being the most delicious places, local bookshops serve and create community. They celebrate thinking and feeling, nourish creativity, and connect writers to readers in unforgettable ways.

What are some of your store's events, programs, or partnerships coming up this quarter that you would like to share?

Under the Umbrella serves the Salt Lake City 2SLGBTQIA+ community with monthly events like Queer Speed Dating, Queer Poetry Night, Queer Youth Art Night, a Queer Popup Market featuring local artisans, and a wide variety of book clubs (like Queer Romance, Scream Queers, Graphic Novels, Lesbian, and Qewboo). We also hold author events (Angela Chen just graced our café!) and supply drives for the local unhoused community.