Grolier Poetry Book Shop - The last sacred place of poetry

This half-hour documentary is about the Grolier Poetry Book Shop – a small one-room independent bookstore at Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that focuses solely on poetry. In the age of Amazon, Kindle and electronic book publishing, “The Grolier”, as insiders call it, is an unlikely gem. Since its foundation in 1927, poetry lovers have mingled at the Grolier, read and listened to poems, and had a little chat with the owners. Throughout its history, the poetry shop has seen numerous famous poets stop by - E. E. Cummings, T. S. Eliot, Allen Ginsberg, Marianne Moore, Seamus Heaney, and Robert Lowell, to name a few. As the oldest continuous poetry book shop in the U.S., the Grolier was listed in 2002 as a "Poetry Landmark" by the Academy of American Poets.
This documentary unpacks the Grolier’s rich history and current transformation. We hear characters read and talk about poetry, and share their experiences at the Grolier. We get a sense of what it feels like to be an audience in the bookshop. We experience writers speak passionately about their craft, the poetry community and the central role the Grolier has played. We see the enthusiasm of the shop owners while also sensing the looming financial pressure the Grolier is facing. Out of 25 bookstores at Harvard Square in the 1990s, only 5 are left – and the Grolier is one of them. But for how long?
We get an optimistic glimpse into the future: Beginning as a rather exclusive venue for English poetry, the Grolier has opened up to a more international audience with its poetry collection and reading program. Its collection today reaches from English, Irish and African-America poets, to writers from Russia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and South-east Asia. Creativity and commitment seem key to the continuous success of the Grolier’s journey. This documentary is part of it – and should not be the end. Each of us is invited to explore the Grolier, its people, and physical space. This documentary is only the beginning.

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