Local News

New owners continue vision for local bookstore

STEUBENVILLE -- Bookmarx, a small used book dealer in downtown Steubenville, has new owners who hope to continue the vision and legacy of the store.

John and Catherine Kuhner officially assumed ownership of the store in March, following the retirement of the bookstore's previous owners, Peter and Patricia Marx. Bookmarx began as an online store but expanded into a physical location, relocating to Steubenville 14 years ago.

Catherine Kuhner said they came to know the former owners about 12 years ago through interactions at the store. When the Kuhners learned that the Marxes were retiring, she said, they "saw the opportunity to continue the (bookstore's) legacy for our town."

The bookstore now receives most of its business, about 60 percent, in-store rather than online, John Kuhner said. The Kuhners still ship books sold through online sales, but they prefer in-store sales because they can bypass websites like Amazon.

The Kuhners have a handful of new projects they want to pursue for the bookstore, some of which they have already started to carry out.

Supporting local authors is particularly important for them, Catherine Kuhner said, and they hope to showcase as many as possible. That support will come in the form of author Q&As, book signings and story times.

Children's story times will hopefully be hosted every Saturday, John Kuhner said. The store has one such story time approaching at 3:30 p.m. today, featuring Carey Wallace, author of the book "Stories of the Saints: Bold and Inspiring Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage." John Kuhner said the event will be suitable for children and adults.

A launch party and book signing were held June 16 for "Sibling Horror: A Collection of Stories," horror short stories written by siblings Matt and Emma Fradd.

Another event, on Friday at 7 p.m., will coincide with the Freedom Friday First Friday on Fourth Street. It will feature Will Hoyt, author of the collection of essays "The Seven Ranges: Ground Zero for the Staging of America."

On Saturday at 11:30 a.m., Sarah Wear, a classics professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville, will host a classical story hour for children, reading from Aesop's Fables Classical Story Hour for children.

"We have shelves and shelves of books from local authors," John Kuhner said. "Especially with the writers at (Franciscan University), Steubenville must have more writers per capita than just about any place in the state."

Not only are local authors promoted at the bookstore but artists as well. Still life pieces by artist Claire Mary Newton hang on a wall near the store's entrance. In addition, fliers for other events around town speckle the store's front windows.

Catherine Kuhner said people in Steubenville love books. The Kuhners themselves can certainly be counted in that number.

Catherine Kuhner said she studied in a classics and liberal arts program. John Kuhner, similarly, studied classics, Latin and Greek at Princeton. From there, he became an elementary school Latin teacher.

After that, he worked for a time at a plant nursery, which he called "the best job I ever had." When John and Catherine Kuhner got married and began raising a family, however, John Kuhner went to work as a freelance writer.

One memorable freelance job he had was adapting picture books for blind children, which meant adding extra words to describe the images.

"We had to write this alternate text for thousands of picture books," John Kuhner said.

John Kuhner said the writing and publication industry fundamentally, and for him negatively, changed after the coronavirus pandemic. There became no opportunities to interact with others in the industry, and there was "no personal element to it," he said.

Catherine Kuhner said the family had been switching between living in New York, John's home, and Steubenville, Catherine's home. They settled for good in Steubenville last August, and, shortly after, they heard about the Marxes' retirement and the new opportunity with the bookstore.

The Marxes, Catherine Kuhner said, were faced with having to liquidate their assets if they weren't able to sell the store. That outcome was averted as the Kuhners decided to jump on the opportunity. John Kuhner said that after "good will on all side," the Kuhners took ownership of the shop.

The Marxes, John Kuhner said, were happy to leave the store in the Kuhners' hands because they believed their vision, based on a passion for books, would be continued by the new owners.

"That sense of continuity from one owner to the next was what excited everyone in making that purchase," John Kuhner said.

Owning the bookstore, John Kuhner said, solved his desire for more socialization, as it provides opportunities to meet interesting individuals, split up with periods of quiet time.

"It's a perfect little combination of being bookish and being social," he said.

One of the two Kuhners is always at the shop during its business hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. In addition to working there, John Kuhner writes for magazines on occasion to make supplemental income for the family.

John Kuhner said, "We have a whole group of employees, some of whom are very part-time: Alane Bratt; Corissa McCalister; Mason McClung; Risa Ryland, my wife's aunt; and Elizabeth Ryland, my wife's sister. We like having it a true family business."

The Kuhners are also joined by Raven the cat, the bookstore's mascot. Raven first arrived at the bookstore as a kitten eight years ago, and now the Kuhners joke that the cat is the current longest-standing employee of the store.

A friend of the Kuhners, Susan Treacy, stopped by the bookstore for a visit on Monday. Treacy is herself an author of the book "The Music of Christendom: A History."

Treacy walked into the bookstore for the first time, intending to visit the Kuhners as she traveled home from a sacred music colloquium in Detroit. As she entered and faced the shelves upon shelves of unique books, Treacy said, "I could spend hours in here," followed by an invitation by John Kuhner to do so.

Treacy took interest in the music section of Bookmarx's theology room. The room, which contains theological and philosophical works, is small and tucked behind a corner in the back of the store. Gregorian chants played over a speaker fill the calm interior.

John Kuhner said the theology room is a favorite of visitors, recalling how a couple once got engaged in the room. However, the room will soon be the first section to "get a face-lift," he said. The theology section will be relocated, and the room will become a dedicated children's area.

Prospects for the room include adding a place for kids to play, a Hobbit house and a dedicated area for the story times, John Kuhner said. There are windows in the room that are currently blocked. The Kuhners hope to open those windows back up to create natural light and better airflow.

That project and others on the Kuhners' to-do list are long-term, but they hope to make progress on them. John Kuhner said they hope to expand the store upward as well, possibly obtaining a second floor so as to contain more books.

"For all that, we'll need money, so come buy a book," John Kuhner said.

John Kuhner has also been involved with a movie-showing effort that has given purpose to the usable lobby of the Grand Theater, which is undergoing renovations. For example, showings of the 1953 romantic comedy "Roman Holiday" will take place at 4:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 9 p.m. during the upcoming First Friday celebration.

Between the movie projects and the manifold efforts at the bookstore, the Kuhners said, they are glad to be a part of efforts to revitalize downtown Steubenville.

"It's really exciting being a part of a group of business owners who are trying to make things better," John Kuhner said. "It's a privilege to be a part of it."

The Kuhners are juggling their long-term business hopes with the even longer-term investments of five children: Will, Zoe, John, Mary and Eva. John Kuhner said that, for his kids, he hopes to contribute toward making Steubenville "a town they can be proud of" because kids are the future.

Catherine Kuhner said she and her husband hope to raise their children around books. John Kuhner said that a person reads about 5,000 books in a lifetime, and Bookmarx has about 20,000 in stock. Considering that fact, the Kuhners' and others' children will have no shortage of books for their lifetimes, so long as Bookmarx continues to live out and develop the vision it has had from the beginning.