Literary City Spotlight: Flagstaff Edition
Perched at 7,000 feet in Northern Arizona, the city of Flagstaff blends outdoor adventure with vibrant arts culture. Surrounded by the world’s largest ponderosa pine forest, this mountain town draws hikers, book lovers, and a notable, always growing community of writers.
If you find yourself in Flagstaff, expect a unique mix of escapism and inclusion. The city is both the perfect place to achieve peaceful, much-needed solitude in nature and check out bustling bookstores and literary events. The best time to go just might be in the spring, when the Northern Arizona Book Festival brings together readers and writers. Flagstaff is home to the highest peak in Arizona, Humphrey’s Peak, and these bookish sites might just make it the peak of this year’s travel, too.
Bright Side Bookshop
18 N. San Francisco St.
Bright Side Bookshop exemplifies the hyper-local, unabashed literary spirit of Flagstaff. This indie haven champions local authors and regional literature, with a focus on stocking environmental writing, indigenous writers, and titles that showcase southwestern storytelling. Known for their monthly “First Friday” readings, Bright Side’s exposed homey brick walls create the perfect backdrop for their regular poetry slams and author events. Visitors can also join in on bimonthly literary society meetings, various book clubs, and even a jigsaw puzzle exchange.
Cedar Coffee Supply
2009 E. Cedar Ave.
Cedar Coffee Shop has become Flagstaff’s unofficial literary living room. Their legendary “Prose & Poems” open mic nights attract standing-room-only crowds, while their wall of local zines showcases Flagstaff’s DIY publishing scene. The shop’s book exchange shelf operates on an honor system, similar to a little free library, creating a constantly rotating selection of community favorites. Plus, hunker down for some writing on one of their cozy couches and enjoy mountain views through the window.
Bookmans Entertainment Exchange
1520 S. Riordan Ranch St.
Described as “huge” and “full of random, awesome finds” by visitor reviews, Bookmans is one of Flagstaff’s largest and most beloved bookstores. Did you power through your packed poetry collections on the plane and now need a new one? Here you can trade in used titles for store credit, and shop not only a diverse range of new and used books, but also music, films, and even musical instruments.
Alt Books and Records
336 State Route 109
Though technically in nearby Sedona, just over half an hour away from Flagstaff, Alt Books and Records shouldn’t be missed—and gives you the perfect opportunity to enjoy lush Northern Arizona nature on your drive. The shop is known for its rare and out-of-print books, as well as its music and book pairings and featured, for-purchase art by local artists. Pick up an unusual title you can’t find anywhere else as an extra special souvenir.
Looking for more literary hot spots to add to your list? Check out our feature on Salt Lake City, another city known for both its activeness and artsiness—or start dreaming up a complete poetry road trip with our list of best poetry cities in the USA.
