After the applause has died down and the previous performer has taken their seat, Fawzy Taylor approaches the microphone.

The sky has darkened and the event has gone over its allotted time, but Queer and Trans Open Mic Night at A Room of One’s Own Bookstore in Madison is far from over.

“Make some noise if you want us to keep going,” says Taylor, the social media marketing manager at A Room of One’s Own Bookstore, to an alley full of people who respond with shouts and applause.

“Now, who wants us to shut up and go home?” Taylor says. The audience’s silence provides a definitive answer.

Artists have filled the last hour with poetry, music, readings from queer erotic fiction, science fun facts and everything in between. The audience shared in sentimental, angry, sad and joyful moments as performers played their guitars, read their poetry and shared snippets of their lives.

As each performer walks up to the stage, they are greeted with a round of applause that carries them to the stage to perform in front of, what the emcees lovingly refer to as, “an alley full of friendly queers.”

Queer and Trans Open Mic Night at A Room of One’s Bookstore on Madison’s east side provides the space for queer and trans folks to process, reflect, share and, most importantly, be heard.

In a political climate that continues to target the LGBTQ+ community, A Room of One’s Own Bookstore creates not just a safe space, but one where being queer is celebrated. Through its innovative use of social media, events and activism, the bookstore has fostered connections and friendships among members of Madison’s LGBTQ+ community and allies. The bookstore has also used its influence to galvanize support for and organize around social justice issues.

“It’s just this lovely community of people who want to see a better world, not only in the books they read, and that are reflected in books, but also that we’re living in,” Taylor says.

A Room of One’s Own bookstore was founded in 1975 by five women who had recently graduated from UW–Madison. Their goal was to create a space to gather and discuss feminist issues. Since the bookstore’s inception, it has continued to evolve and change, but it has always been an innovative, community-oriented space.

The store has changed locations several times — it’s now on Madison’s Atwood Avenue.

Aurora Shimshak, poet, doctoral candidate and former employee at A Room of One’s Own, explains the bookstore’s creative blending of art-making and activism.

“The original owners were trailblazers, too. You know, starting this feminist bookstore — what a risk,” Shimshak says. “I really looked up to them for doing that and creating a real community space where there were readings and feminist authors that were nationally known speaking in Madison.”

In 2018, the bookstore underwent a change in ownership. New owners Gretchen Treu and Wes Lukes, joined by silent partner Patrick Rothfuss, have furthered the store’s evolution, cementing its place as a community pillar with a reputation that extends far beyond Madison, amassing more than 50,000 followers on Instagram.

Taylor explains that in the five and a half years that they have worked at the store, they, along with other employees, have been encouraged to use their specialized skill sets in the work they do at the store by hosting fundraisers and events. In Taylor’s case, that means running the social media accounts, which have gained national attention.

In addition to the online community the bookstore has created, there is something special about its in-person events, particularly its Queer and Trans Open Mic Nights.

“That was like queer church. It had the transcendence and impact of the best church services I’ve ever been to,” says Becca Bedell, a local writer and open mic night attendee. “It was such a radically inclusive and warm and cathartic and transformative space.”

The alley behind the bookstore was overflowing with people to the point that some were standing behind the chairs in the back. Despite the large crowd, there is no shortage of deep, genuine connections and conversations at these events.

“You talk to someone once, and because of what the space is, it’s a bond, it’s a friendship immediately, in a way that might not be in a different space,” Bedell says.

In addition to Queer and Trans Open Mic Nights, A Room of One’s Own hosts many other types of events. Through its fundraisers, the bookstore has raised money to clear the lunch debt of kids in the Madison community, aid Palestinian families and support families detained at the border, Taylor says.

“We give a lot of money away, considering we barely turn a profit, but it’s important for us to not only reinvest in this community, because we love it so much, but to put money where it’s useful,” Taylor says. “We want people to be well, and to be safe and to be free.”

The bookstore also hosts many author events each month.

Shimshak, who worked at A Room of One’s Own during her time as an undergraduate at UW–Madison in 2004, has now read her poetry at the bookstore twice.

“It was a beautiful experience. It’s such a dream place to read,” Shimshak says. “It’s vibrant, it’s colorful, it’s welcoming.”

Longtime customer Jessica Gilkison finds herself visiting A Room of One’s Own many times each month to attend events and buy books.

“Sometimes when I’m just feeling a little untethered, Room is where I find myself wanting to go,” Gilkison says.

For many like Gilkison, A Room of One’s Own offers more than just books. The warm, accepting atmosphere and curated selection of books draws people in, but it’s the bookstore’s community activism that keeps them coming back.

“So, yes, Amazon might be able to get it for you for $8 cheaper,” Taylor says. “But when you buy it from us, you don’t support a billionaire who doesn’t care about you. When you buy a book from us, you allow us to feed our dogs and host really cool events and continue to support things that really matter.”

Many members of the community have shared that for them, it’s so much more than a bookstore. A big piece of that is the fact that the store has a clear social and political stance.

A Room of One’s Own is proudly queer and trans-owned, with politics informed by the abolition of oppressive institutions. Those who run the store have also been outspoken in their support for Palestine, from displaying the Palestinian flag to hosting events like Letters for Ceasefire, a community letter writing campaign demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Their stances have informed not only the books on their shelves but also their involvement in activism.

Shimshak shared that A Room of One’s Own reminds her of the quote, “The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.”

“Room is one of those places where the revolution can feel irresistible,” Shimshak says.

Cover Photo: A Room of One’s Own, a queer and trans-owned bookstore on Atwood Avenue, is grounded in its commitment to social justice. Photo by Lauren Pettis.
Tile Photo: A performer plays their guitar at Queer & Trans Open Mic Night at A Room of One’s Own bookstore in front of a friendly crowd of listeners. Photo by Fawzy Taylor.