Milwaukee is filled with hidden retail gems boasting unique collections of housewares, clothing, jewelry and one-of-a-kind gift items. In this series, we’re highlighting some of the best of the bunch and giving you all the information you need to shop smarter while supporting local artisans and business owners.
Boswell Book Co.
2559 N. Downer Ave.
(414) 332-1181
boswellbooks.com
Twitter: @boswellbooks
Instagram: @boswellbookco
When Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops closed its doors, longtime employee Daniel Goldin bought the company’s shop a block from where Schwartz opened his first bookstore in 1927 and tinkered it a bit, including renaming it Boswell Books, in homage to the Boswell figure that had become a Schwartz icon. Now, it is the city’s best bookshop, stocked not only with great works but with employees who are passionate and knowledgeable booklovers.
Find unique gifts for: Anyone who loves a nail-biting whodunnit, a beach-perfect summer novel, lifelong learning, a poem, meeting an author, reading a magazine, listening to an audio book ... you get the idea.
Treat yourself to: A copy of the updated edition of John Gurda’s landmark book, "The Making of Milwaukee."
Here are just a few of the items you can find at Boswell Book Co.:
Books about Milwaukee and just about everything else
Gifts and books for kids
Holiday ornaments
Notebooks for your innermost thoughts
Mugs (styles vary)
Travel guides
Calendars
Puzzles and games
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He can be heard weekly on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories.
