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CSB: Community Supported Books
Support Canio’s arts & literary community!
Join Canio’s CSB today! It’s similar to the Community Supported Agriculture movement where individuals take a share in growing healthy food. In joining our CSB, we’re asking you to take a share in sustaining food for thought. Now is your chance to support Canio’s Books’ commitment to offering good books, local art, community, & creative ideas. It’s easy! You can open an account with as little as $100 and then make purchases, request gifts to be wrapped & shipped, and more – all on your CSB account. Call or stop in to join TODAY and get our Commemorative 2020 calendar for a special CSB discount!
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Celebrating our 40th Anniversary
Canio’s Books was founded in 1980 by Canio Pavone, when Sag Harbor was still a “charming fishing village,” as some have described it. Driving through Sag Harbor after reading Joe Pintauro’s novel set there, Canio discovered a shop in an old building with a FOR RENT sign in the window.
His dream of owning a bookstore was realized on October 1, 1980 when the doors of Canio’s Books opened, and the shop’s storied life began. Nelson Algren, a recent arrival to the village, became a regular, sharing coffee and talking books with Canio Saturday mornings. Algren inaugurated Canio’s author reading series in May 1981. Later, the Moby-Dick marathon readings brought crowds to the bookshop in celebration of this great American novel that mentions Sag Harbor. Readings, art receptions, concerts, community events, and more continue year-round.
In 1999, Maryann Calendrille, a writer, and Kathryn Szoka, photographer, took over Canio’s Books developing the tradition and adding their own particular interests and talents. Both teach workshops at the store, and Kathryn focuses on photography and has expanded Canio’s Gallery to highlight local artists. The carefully curated book collection includes new and used literature, fiction and non-fiction, lovely children’s books, art, poetry, and history, plus books on cooking, food, the environment, nature and spirituality. One requirement is that all books are very well written and worth reading.
In 2009 Maryann & Kathryn created the 501c3 not-for-profit Canio’s Cultural Cafe. The CCC hosts lectures, workshops, seminars and other public forums that include a diversity of artists, writers, educators, independent scholars, students, and community members who might not otherwise be heard. Writing and photography workshops, environmental and spiritual community courses are part of the mix.
In 2015, we re-started and expanded our Moby-Dick Marathon, partnering with other local institutions to spread the reading around the village. More about it and other marathons at Canio’s Cultural Cafe.
2019 marks Maryann & Kathryn’s 20th anniversary at Canio’s. The time flies when you love what you do. Our 20/20 Celebration marks that milestone, plus the 40th anniversary of the bookshop in 2020. Many events are planned, including a Literary Costume Party (Nov, 2019), Essential Emily Marathon (Dec 2019), Commemorartive 2020 Calendar, and a Tribute to Toni Morrison – including documentary film screening, panel discussion, and a Community Read of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye (May, 2020) marking the publication’s 50th anniversary. So much to celebrate. Hope you’ll join us!
Canio’s Books
290 Main Street * Sag Harbor, NY 11963 * 631.725.4926
The Canio's Books Blog 
Thanks for letting us know about your book, Michael. We’ll look into it. Best of luck!