 | ||
Amicus Books, located in Marysville, California, is a privately owned literary arts center, funded by an independent bookstore. It presently serves a ten county region in California’s Sacramento Valley, focusing on programs for the area’s authors and writers. James and Kara Davis are its founders and current directors.
History
Amicus Books opened to the public on April 1, 2005 in Yuba City, California, and within its first year produced Wordcolors, an anthology of poetry, short stories and photography, in collaboration with the members of its first literary program, Poetry from The Green Chair. Also during 2005, the center established The Literary Lounge, a consortium of the region’s authors, writers, publishers, illustrators and editors. The consortium has been showcased at the Yuba-Sutter Regional Arts Council and includes many published authors, notably Chris Enss, author of several books on women of the Old West.
In March 2006, Amicus Books relocated to 413 D Street, in the historic downtown district of Marysville, California. Later that year, it founded the Downtown Marysville Art Chautauqua, collaborating with local businesses, artists and writers to provide a regular venue for the literary and visual arts. In July 2006, Amicus Books launched the Intrepid Press, a zine written, edited and directed by local writers and artists, ages 16 to 23. The center has also hosted several educational and literary events, including presentations by authors Candy Chand, Richard Beban, Selden Edwards, Lueza Gelb, Erica Ross-Krieger, and most notably, John Esam, a Beat Generation poet and a chief organizer of the 1965 International Poetry Incarnation.