Greenwood's Couth Buzzard books flies again

A year ago, Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood was mourning the loss of the Couth Buzzard, a 100,000-volume used bookstore that occupied a sunny, funky space next to Ken's Market.

The Buzzard, which lost its lease because of the market's expansion, was a gathering place, a "refuge and an oasis" in the words of one customer. It closed its doors in August 2008.

This sad story has a happy ending, or at least a new beginning. The Buzzard is coming back.

Sometime this fall — target date is Nov. 1 — the Couth Buzzard will reopen at a new address, 8310 Greenwood Ave. N., two doors from the neighborhood post office. The new store will be a combination "bookstore, cafe and community gathering place," as well as an art gallery, says longtime Couth Buzzard manager Theo Dzielak.

Dzielak says the resurrection of the Couth Buzzard was brought about by a confluence of events.

Penny Wight, owner of Lynnwood's Espresso Buono Coffee and Cafe, contacted Dzielak and former Couth Buzzard owner Gerry Lovchik about combining forces in one location, filling a void created in Seattle's northwest quadrant by the closing of Ballard's Epilogue Books.

The inventory from the old store had been sold or donated to literacy organizations, so Dzielak and Lovchik are once again building a collection; the core will be 6,000 volumes purchased from Epilogue Books. The new store will stock about 40,000 volumes; the old store had 100,000 volumes.

Dzielak asks that fans of the Buzzard contact him with ideas "on how you would like the new Buzzard to serve you and our community" (206-418-9522 or melodyplay@earthlink.net). They welcome volunteer help, book donations and books for trade.

Big week for new releases

These books will be in bookstores this week: Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" (sequel to "The Da Vinci Code"); the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's memoir, "True Compass"; and Jon Krakauer's long-awaited and delayed book, "Where Men Win Glory," the story of Pat Tillman, the professional football player who joined the Army Rangers and was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004. Also, Oprah will announce her first book-club pick since she selected David Wroblewski's "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" about a year ago.

Library layoffs

The Seattle Public Library reopened Sept. 7 after its weeklong closure. The closure saved $655,000, but that wasn't the only painful money-saving strategy: There were layoffs amounting to nearly six full-time positions.

Spokesman Andra Addison said the affected positions ranged from a strategic-initiatives coordinator and operations and analysis manager to administrative secretary.

The library has also delayed its computer-replacement schedule and reduced its training budget.

Any good news here? Er ... no books or materials accrued fines during the closure.

Mary Ann Gwinn: 206-464-2357 or mgwinn@seattletimes.com. Mary Ann Gwinn appears on Classical KING-FM's Arts Channel at http://www.king.org/pages/4216533.php

Information in this article, originally published September 14, 2009, was corrected September 15, 2007. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Couth Buzzard, a bookstore reopening this fall, will be located two blocks from the Greenwood post office . It will be located two doors from the Greenwood post office. Also, the name of the bookstore's co-owner Penny Wight was misspelled.