If there’s a book sale in town, you can count on Lily Someson and Micah Robinson to be browsing through the stacks. The duo are on a mission to rescue donated queer and BIPOC literature and give them a second life.
Someson and Robinson are the owners of Baldwin’s Books & Records, a new Black- and trans-owned Madison pop-up bookstore that sells used books and records by queer and BIPOC authors and artists. All of BB&R’s items are priced at $15 or less, allowing people to “have a book forever” without “breaking the bank.”
Collected from these book sales, BB&R’s inventory is made up exclusively of used books and records, which have been meticulously refurbished and repackaged — removing plastic covering, sticker residue, etc. — so that they can be resold at a discount.
“We go through the process of making [them] look new and giving them a new life,” Someson said.
A solidly literary affair
Someson and Robinson are new to town, having moved from Nashville, where Someson obtained her MFA in poetry from Vanderbilt University. Robinson is currently pursuing a graduate degree from UW-Madison’s School of Human Ecology, and Someson works at the university supporting transfer students.
Last December, while meditating on the new kinds of censorship and oppression that the current presidential administration is bringing forth — especially for marginalized folks like people of color and the LGBTQ community — the two came up with the idea of opening up a pop-up bookstore.
“We were realizing that so many books are being liquidated right now, so they are showing up in library sales. Even on Facebook Marketplace, you’d see a lot of teachers who were like, “Here’s my whole Black History Month children’s book selection. I don’t need it anymore.”
Even with the oppressive reasons behind the uptick in these donations, Someson and Robinson saw a silver lining. They asked each other, “What if we had a bookstore where we could take these books, refurbish them, and then sell them again at an accessible price?”
“If books are being banned, it’s because they’re powerful and have an impact,” Robinson further explained. “Just being able to curate a selection of literature has given us a sense of purpose during this time.”
As writers and readers, it makes sense that Someson and Robinson’s first business venture together would be catered towards bookworms. Both lifelong readers, the two first met in their undergraduate poetry program at Columbia College in Chicago.
“I’ve only been able to be well-read because of the library and the kindness of friends who would let me borrow their books,” Someson shared.
“I feel like libraries have saved my life at so many different points,” Robinson added. “I grew up in conservative rural Michigan, and I think the library was always a sanctuary.”
BB&R’s name reflects these feelings of safety, belonging, and acceptance. “We were really racking our brains over a name, and we went through a few different authors that we loved,” Robinson explained. “But we ended up ending with James Baldwin because it felt like he was the perfect intersection of what we wanted to do.”
“In thinking about Black literature, thinking about queer literature, and what it means to preserve those things, I see him as a beacon of that work,” Someson said.
She continued: “Having him there felt like he was there with us and reminds us that people have been doing this work for a long time. People have been resisting for a long time, have been under oppressive regimes [and] governments [and are] still doing the good work, still making art. It’s a reminder that we’re in that lineage.”
A new-old structure for new-old books
In a town as book-loving as Madison, it’s difficult to feel like you’re offering something fresh to the literary landscape by simply opening up a bookstore.
”[We didn’t want] to replicate anything that other bookstores are doing already, and they’re doing it so well,” Robinson explained.
The idea of doing a pop-up actually came from another business owner of color in town: Buraka’s Marcos Regassa.
Back in the ‘90s, Regassa wasn’t sure that Madison would be receptive to an entire Ethiopian restaurant, but he did know that he could do a food truck to test it out.
Listening to Regassa’s story lit a spark for Someson. “I was like, ‘Oh my god. How fun would it be to have a bookstore pop-up? Is this something that other people have done?’”
While the typical pop-up model for bookstores is book trucks, Someson and Robinson wanted something that would be a little bit more portable.
“We wanted something that could move around in our little Honda Fit,” Robinson explained with a laugh.
With the help of their growing community, Someson and Robinson have been able to navigate the bureaucracy of starting a business with relative ease.
In particular, Robinson shared that a staff member at the organization GSAFE has provided them with a lot of guidance. “She has been such a great mentor all around, but I think I’ve also gotten some really valuable information from her in terms of more business and logistical things,” he said.
The duo is also looking forward to joining a cohort for small business startups hosted by the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce in June.
Finding their audience
Right now, the spare room in Someson and Robinson’s home is filled with titles that have since been taken off shelves and are ready to be resold, but it was a group effort to even get them there.
Having been to so many library sales since December of last year, Someson and Robinson think fondly of the volunteers who’ve come to know them and have started helping them sort through the piles.
“When they’re going through their donation pile, they’re like, ‘Oh, it feels like Lily and Micah might [want this, and they’ll] put it off to the side and give it to us,” Someson said.
Some of the volunteers are also queer, and shopping these sales has been a way for Someson and Robinson to connect with their “queer elders.” “That intergenerational connection has been the best,” Someson said.
But the generosity of these volunteers is just the tip of the iceberg.
During their first pop-up at the Femmestival at the Garver Feed Mill this past February, BB&R made a whopping 60 individual sales. In addition to books that were part of their Buy Three Get The Fourth For Free deal, shoppers also had the opportunity to go on a first date with a book that’s been a little bit through more than regular wear and tear, but can still go home with a new owner for under $10.
“[Those] books can still be loved,” Robinson explained. “Even as we’re thinking about sustainability and accessibility, we also ensure that our selection is in good condition.”
A small piece of the resistance pie
Even with the rise of big tech, e-books, and same-day deliveries, Someson and Robinson are excited to play their part in a world where print is here to stay.
I will always believe that print will be around,” Someson said. “On the Internet, things are so fleeting. They can be deleted, they can be taken away. But if you have a book in your possession, no one can take that information away from you.”
One of BB&R’s top priorities is accessibility through affordability, but there’s also a greater sense of community imbued in its mission. “When you’re buying things online like that, it’s such a solitary activity,” Robinson explained. “We’re also really craving that community, that in-person, [face to face] interaction.”
And while the road ahead feels daunting, Someson and Robinson are excited to keep their community safe and reading. “Although it’s a small piece of the pie, it’s our piece.”
Baldwin’s Books & Records accepts monetary and used book donations. They can coordinate book pickups and drop-offs. Learn more here.
They will be at select North Street markets throughout 2025. Follow them on Instagram at @baldwinsbooks to learn more.
