Dealer Kate Mitas.
1 How did you get your start?
Like many people, I stumbled into the book trade. In my case, I was a 26-year-old regular at Cellar Stories Bookstore, in Providence, Rhode Island, when the owner joked that I should work there. My heart skipped a beat and I blurted: “Are you hiring?” And that was the start of my career.
I managed the store for the better part of seven years, then worked at Blue Jacket Books in Xenia, Ohio, for another year while paying down my student loans.
After that, I landed a job at Tavistock Books in Alameda, California, and began learning the antiquarian side of the trade, as well as falling in love with the Bay Area. Finally, in 2017 I hung out my shingle, and the business has been growing by leaps and bounds ever since.
2 What is one great discovery you have made?
An absolutely stunning volvelle of cocktail recipes designed by a woman artist right after the end of Prohibition, found in a pile on the ground at a flea market.
3 What is something you would love to get your hands on?
Women and Their Bodies, published on newsprint.
Women and Their Bodies, the first edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves, published on newsprint. I’ve had one copy before, and it was electric dealing with it.
4 What is one thing you couldn’t do without?
Archival mylar sleeves! They’re the best protection for ephemera.
5 Real ale or espresso martini?
I’m more of a Bourbon woman myself.
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