By Melissa Ximena Golebiowski
FROM: Lit Hub

The door of Los Angeles’ newest bookstore is propped open on a quiet section of Hollywood Boulevard, the front window displaying books on a handmade wooden bookshelf. Inside the front room, you’ll find more books and merchandise below a neon light thought bubble and a sign that reads, “I still haven’t figured out all the people I am.” The staff is friendly, warm and eager to listen. In the back room, separated by curtains, art hangs on the yellow walls. The large space is waiting to be used by Not a Cult, an independent publisher turned bookstore.

Not a Cult is the brainchild of Daniel Lisi and artist hollis hart, developed as a way to produce work that helps build a more open-minded world. While Lisi was working on programming for Art Share LA, he encountered unpublished authors, including Los Angeles-based Salvadoran poet Yesika Salgado, who were over-filling the venues he booked. Bolstered by hart’s engagement in the artistic community and Lisi’s knowledge of publishing from his time at the independent publisher Write Bloody, Not a Cult launched in 2016. Their catalog features two dozen titles within the realms of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, art, and even spells.

In part because it’s such a small operation, their process with authors is very collaborative, according to Lisi. “A very consistent grievance I hear from writers is how there’s so little communication throughout the whole editorial process. That’s always been something we wanted to create and have that transparency so the artists can see the why. We give a lot of leeway to the authors to talk about the process from editorial to cover design,” he said.

Junior High became the brick-and-mortar location for Not a Cult’s bookstore and event programming through an introduction by Rhiannon McGavin, Not a Cult’s editorial proofer. The space, which is dedicated to showcasing the artistic pursuits of marginalized voices, exudes a relaxed vibe and welcoming atmosphere, almost like visiting an open art studio. Read Rest of Article Here