Every few months, my friend Maryam and I go on an adventure to a fun part of Ann Arbor called Kerrytown. The outings have begun to feel like ritual, since we do the same thing every time. Why try to improve on perfection?
We take off from work at Washtenaw Community College, driving northwest to Kerrytown. We pass a copper beech that is too near a construction project for Maryam’s comfort. She worries about the beech. She always drives because she’s a native to these parts and knows the way better. After two and half year here, I still use my phone to navigate.
First we hit TeaHaus, founded and owned by Lisa MacDonald. MacDonald fell in love with German tea on a backpacking trip, and fell in love with an Ann Aroborite, too. They settled in Ann Arbor, started a family and what is now known as TeaHaus.
TeaHaus is on the corner of Ann and North 4th Avenue in Kerrytown, Ann Arbor.
Just some of the bulk tea available. The Scottish breakfast is my favorite. This time Maryam had Ginger Rooibos.
Magically, one table is always empty and waiting for us.
We always have the goat cheese with crackers and figs with our tea.
While we enjoy our treat, we talk about poetry, writing, our families, and our children. We talk about grandchildren and dogs. And we talk about books. We talk a lot about books!
The founder and owner of TeaHaus literally wrote the book about tea.
Then we head two blocks south on 4th Avenue to the corner of East Washington Street and the famous Literati.
Whenever I see the bookstore, my heart skips a beat.
I was surprised to learn recently that although this bookstore is already an institution, it was founded only 10 years ago by Hilary and Michael Gustafson. Clearly independent bookstores are far from a thing of the past!
The middle floor of Literati. This is the fiction floor.
I always head back to the Science Fiction section, because it’s where Octavia Butler lives. Not to mention Kim Stanley Robinson. I don’t usually buy anything from this section, since I already have so many, but I must pay my respects.
Maryam browses new fiction.
A new translation that’s met with mixed reviews.
It took all my will power to reverently hold this for a moment before putting it back. I did come home and put it on my wishlist on the Literati website. Just saying. Although Homeric scholars are being a bit snobbish about it, I found it lovely.
As planned, I purchased the Cleland. It was located in the basement with nonfiction and local works.
I’ll give a presentation about this book to our school community in March of 2024. When I do, I’ll post the link here on the blog. Published by University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor.
Sadly, it’s time to go. Our stomachs and minds sated for the time being, we head back to Maryam’s car, already talking about the next time we’ll conduct our delightful ritual. Before I know it we’re back at school. She drops me off at my car and we drive into our separate worlds of family, dogs, writing, teaching–and of course–tea and books.
