We had the good fortune of connecting with June Wilcox and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi June, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
You’re in a conversation with someone that you don’t know very well, maybe the conversation is a little stilted, a little painful. Then somehow, by some happy accident, you stumble into the realization that you share a love of a specific book and, suddenly, you’re friends. Stories make indelible marks. They help us uncover truths about ourselves and about others. Finding a path to connection via the love of a shared story makes me happy.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
M.Judson Booksellers is an independent bookstore in the heart of Main Street in Greenville, SC. We are located in a stunning beaux arts building that has a storied history of its own as the city’s former court house. Having just entered our tenth year, we’ve spent a lot of time recently reflecting on who we are in our community, who we want to be, and how far we’ve come. The path has been a winding one, sometimes rocky, sometimes not, as paths tend to be.

Throughout the adventure of the last decade, we’ve made our way by being nimble, making space for creativity, owning our mistakes, and laughing, a lot, often at ourselves. In our next decade, we will continue to try to be the best version of what we believe an independent bookstore should be in a community: a hub, a gathering place, a place to connect – to see and be seen.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
M.Judson has a program we call TripLit, where we travel to cities we love with a group of readers for a long weekend. In designing the itineraries, we’re always looking for ways to visit lesser-known spots that give a real sense of the fabric of a place. It’s fun to think about designing an itinerary for our home town of Greenville, SC.

What to Read
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash
Reimagining Greenville by John Boyanoski and Mayor Knox White

Where to Eat and What to Eat there.
Coffee: Camilla Kitchen at M.Judson Booksellers: Crumble bar and a Lavender Girls Latte
Breakfast: Tandem Creperie: Any crepe. (Seriously.)
Lunch: Maestro Bistro: Chopped Salad, add shrimp
Cocktails: LaRue Fine Chocolate in West Greenville or, if the weather is nice, Up On the Roof has a gorgeous view
Dinner: Bar Margaret: Hippie Burger, Fries with 1k sauce
Late Night: Society Sandwich Bar: Coconut Curry Ramen

What to Do
Go for a hike at Paris Mountain. This gem of a state park is minutes from downtown.
Shop local. Downtown has an abundance of locally-owned storefronts that add character and charm to our city.
Attend any one of Greenville’s amazing events. The Farmer’s Market is my favorite.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The team at M.Judson Booksellers inspires me every day of my life. They lead heart-first with grace and kindness and a real passion for serving our community.

Website: https://mjudsonbooksellers.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjudsonbooks/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjudsonbooks

Image Credits
Beth Ables

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSouthCarolina is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.