Would you like to tell a story at our monthly gathering? Or be a listener? We welcome both! This month’s theme is: changes.

For TELLERS:

We welcome your folktale, original writing, personal story, song, or family history piece. If you’d like to be a storyteller, you can either email us at info@blacksburgbooks.com or you can sign up when you get here that evening. Preference will be given to those who sign up in advance.

Here are your rules:

1) No story will ever demean any group or individual using race, ethnicity, economic class, geographic region, political affiliation, religion, gender, etc.

2) Your story will be spoken; while we welcome original stories, if you wrote it, we want you to tell it rather than read it. Poems and songs are perfectly acceptable formats for telling a story.

3) Each month has a theme, which can be interpreted as you choose.The theme for next month will be given the month before at the event and available on the website.

4) Your story will be no more than 8 minutes long. At seven minutes, a staff member will hold up an object at the back of the group. She will repeat this at 7:30. At 8 minutes, she will hold up the object continuously. Please don't make us tell you what happens if you get to 8:30.

For LISTENERS:

1) Please avoid foods that rustle loudly in bags or result in messy crummy bits flying all over the store.

2) The stories you hear at the gathering might be sacred, funny, thought-provoking, or about difficult topics. They may contain words that would be bleeped out on the radio. They won't have trigger warnings. We hold space for each other as we honor the vulnerability and courage it takes to share.

3) Silence your cell phones.

4) Only stand up and move around during a story if it's an emergency.

Thanks! We look forward to having you!

BYO snacks and the gathering will run about an hour and fifteen minutes each month.

Storytelling begins promptly at 7:00 - please arrive prior to that time so that you can be seated and ready!

Our banned book for September is The Color Purple by Alice Walker!

Join us at Moon Hollow Brewing to discuss. Get 10% off your drink when you tell them you’re with book club!

It’s our Tote Bag 20 sale! Bring in your Blacksburg Books tote bag and get 20% off books!

Consignment books are excluded, but that’s only like 1% of the store. :)

Steppin’ Out threw off our schedule, so you get two events in one evening!

From 7-8 we'll have storytelling - come to listen or to tell a brief story. We welcome your folktale, original writing, personal story, or family history piece. Poems and songs are also welcome! Aim for 8 minutes or less. This month’s theme is: surprises. Good, bad, whatever!

Then from 8-10 it's just unstructured hanging out. What's a "Third Place", you ask? It's a social space separate from work or home, a comfortable place where you can relax and socialize (for free!) So bring a craft, a snack, a friend, or just yourself and come hang out!

The August pick for our Banned Books Club is The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

We will meet at Moon Hollow Brewing to discuss! Get 10% off your drink when you tell them you’re with book club!

The July 4th holiday threw off our schedule, so you get two events in one evening!

From 7-8 we'll have storytelling - come to listen or to tell a brief story. We welcome your folktale, original writing, personal story, or family history piece. Poems and songs are also welcome! Aim for 8 minutes or less.

Then from 8-10 it's just unstructured hanging out. What's a "Third Place", you ask? It's a social space separate from work or home, a comfortable place where you can relax and socialize (for free!) So bring a craft, a snack, a friend, or just yourself and come hang out!

Would you like to tell a story at our monthly gathering? Or be a listener? We welcome both! This month’s theme is: new beginnings.

For TELLERS:

We welcome your folktale, original writing, personal story, or family history piece. Please sign up to be a teller by noon Thursday before the Friday event. You do that by emailing us at info@blacksburgbooks.com.

Here are your rules:

1) No story will ever demean any group or individual using race, ethnicity, economic class, geographic region, political affiliation, religion, gender, etc.

2) Your story will be spoken; while we welcome original stories, if you wrote it, we want you to tell it rather than read it. Poems and songs are perfectly acceptable formats for telling a story.

3) Each month has a theme, which can be interpreted as you choose.The theme for next month will be given the month before at the event and available on the website.

4) Your story will be no more than 8 minutes long. At seven minutes, a staff member will hold up an object at the back of the group. She will repeat this at 7:30. At 8 minutes, she will hold up the object continuously. Please don't make us tell you what happens if you get to 8:30.

For LISTENERS:

1) Please avoid foods that rustle loudly in bags or result in messy crummy bits flying all over the store.

2) The stories you hear at the gathering might be sacred, funny, thought-provoking, or about difficult topics. They may contain words that would be bleeped out on the radio. They won't have trigger warnings. We hold space for each other as we honor the vulnerability and courage it takes to share.

3) Silence your cell phones.

4) Only stand up and move around during a story if it's an emergency.

Thanks! We look forward to having you!

BYO snacks and the gathering will run about an hour and fifteen minutes each month.

Storytelling begins promptly at 7:00 - please arrive prior to that time so that you can be seated and ready!

Denali Nalamalapu’s Holler is a debut graphic memoir—and living history of climate justice—based on the stories of six frontline resisters to the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Appalachia, offering a portrait of the diverse people and places of Appalachia, and the creation of a hopeful movement. Holler shares the stories of six ordinary people who became resistors of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a project that spans approximately 300 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia—a teacher, a single mother, a nurse, an organizer, a photographer, and a seed keeper.

Climate activist, scientist, and writer Bill McKibben says: "Holler is a truly beautiful account of the beautiful people who have waged a beautiful fight for a beautiful piece of a beautiful planet. Read it and learn how to fight!"

Blacksburg Books will host the launch of Holler in which Denali will speak about the process of writing the book and how the book relates to the growing movement to stop fossil fuels and build a livable future.

Denali will be joined by one of the activists featured in the book, Desiree Flores Shelley. Shelley is a transdisciplinary researcher, ecologist, environmental and conservation educator and community organizer. Currently, she serves as a Indigenous Knowledge and Data Specialist for the Indigenous Conservation Council for the Chesapeake Bay and is pursuing a PhD in Plant and Environmental Science at Virginia Tech. Her academic research has centered on the nexus between Indigenous language revitalization and traditional foodways, as well as historical Indigenous land use and food forests practices in Appalachia and the applications of Indigenous knowledge in modern agroecology conservation and restoration efforts.

Desiree also dedicates her time to language revitalization efforts and land protection and conservation in her community through her work with the Yesa:sahį Language Project and the Southwest Virginia Agrarian Commons. She has a passion for seedkeeping and native plants. Most importantly, Desiree is a mom of three kids. She lives in the Roanoke area with her husband, family and lots of animal relatives on a small farm where she seedkeeps Indigenous heirlooms and implements regenerative Indigenous land use practices.

We’ll be out at the Blacksburg Farmers Market with all sorts of books about gardening, using fresh herbs & vegetables, landscaping, and other seasonal topics. Bring your old books and swap them for new ones, or give a donation and take a book or two!

At 4pm, Diane Flynt will be on-site to speak about the history of apples in Appalachia, plus some growing tips. Diane is an author, apple-grower, and founder of Foggy Ridge Cider, and we're HUGE fans of hers.

All donations benefit the Farmers Market SNAP program, which allows people to use their EBT cards at the market for fresh food.