Bookselling is a conversation with its community | Kris Kleindienst | TEDxStLouisWomen
Bookstores aren’t just places to buy books; they’re places to see yourself reflected. For more than 50 years, Kris Kleindienst has shaped Left Bank Books, a beloved independent bookstore in St. Louis, into a vibrant space for art, activism, visibility, and community conversation. From curating shelves to shaping civic conversations, she reveals how cultural spaces can evolve with and for the communities they serve. Kris Kleindienst is a writer, bookseller, and lifelong advocate for social justice. She joined Left Bank Books in 1974, became co-owner in 1977, and sole owner in 2021. In 2010, she co-founded the Left Bank Books Foundation, a pioneering nonprofit devoted to access, equity, and community engagement through literature.Kris has served on the boards of the American Booksellers Association, Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, and ACLU of Eastern Missouri, among others. A Lambda Literary Award-winning editor, her work has appeared in Delmar, The Griffin, and The Liminality Project.Her activism spans decades, from feminist collectives and LGBTQIA organizing to founding BUILD St. Louis and Bookfest St. Louis. A former columnist for The Vital Voice, she continues to write essays and is working on a memoir exploring the intersection of the personal and the political. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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