Its no secret that Pitymilk loves bookshops. We have been working on finding more ways to support and deepen our relationships with these places and the people who run them. We are incredibly excited to begin an interview and highlight series with shop proprietors starting with a really special interview with Merlin who runs an incredible little shop in St Johnsbury, VT called Tunnel Books. Edie stumbled into this misty town for a show at Tunnel during a tour with G. Ferragamo back in Nov. of 2025. It was a little hard to know what to expect, but G. and Edie were unbelievably surprised. Somehow Merlin makes it work without a social media presence, a kind of “only in small town Vermont” situation that makes us all want to move to the mountains. The town, the shop and Merlin were all so charming on so many levels. If ever you find your way through that part of New England, we suggest you stop in and stay a while — tell yr friends and lovers — take the tunnel.
Tell us about your shop and yourself – where are you located? Where are you from? What do you specialize in? What drove you to take this on?
My name is Merlin and I’m the proprietor of Tunnel Books in St. Johnsbury, VT. St. Johnsbury is a small town in the rural Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, about 40 minutes from the Quebec border, and it’s also where I’m from, though I’ve lived a few other places besides. Tunnel Books is a new, used, and rare book store, which opened last year on the autumnal equinox. Areas of specialty here include literature in translation, philosophy, religion & the occult, poetry, small press, and queer titles more generally. I’ve probably got the largest selection of secondhand lesbiana of any shop in the state! Books have been a central part of my life for the whole of my life. I’ve done bookbinding, printing, been a librarian, archivist, cataloguer, and an independent rare book dealer, but my great passion has always been for $2 books. I’m really glad to have an open shop where I can sling cheap paperbacks, showcase literature and art that I find inspiring or important, and make connections with the people I live in community with. Plus, I get to bring my little dog to work.
What role do independent bookshops play in the community?
Why are indie bookstores important?
Simply put, we provide more choice. If we’re doing it right, independent bookstores provide more options to customers. We’re able to make conscious choices about the titles we carry, as well as the presses and publishers we work with, instead of having stock dictated by distributors or “best seller” lists, which by their nature erode the variety and diversity of titles available to consumers.
What do small bookstores offer the community that larger shops cannot?
Like an algorithm, I’m actively learning from the people who interact with me. Unlike an algorithm, I’m not trying to use that information to push a product or a viewpoint. Except that “gay is good” and Crocosmia by Miranda Mellis is a book that maybe everyone should read.
What are some of the unique challenges facing small bookstores in the current climate and economy?
A used bookstore is the antithesis of what Kyle Chaka called “AirSpace” – the sterile, uncanny, techy, Apple Store-like environment that defines a lot of retail these days – but that aesthetic and ethos is still infectious and books aren’t immune. I’ve had acquaintances tell me they torrented copies of books I’ve recommended, or purchased them from online retailers which, like, fair. Things are expensive and it’s getting harder and harder for everyone to get by. But also…is that the world you want to live in? One that’s antisocial and hermetically sealed? I think we’re increasingly being pushed into environments like that, which are frictionless and seem to provide near-instant gratification, and quite often without even noticing. And I don’t think it’s making our lives and our world any better. So, for my part, I make an effort to keep the money I make local and to cultivate relationships with the people in my community. I love and believe in this place, and I want to see it thrive. I think it’s got a shot!
Buy a book! Or make a zine or a print and sell it to me! Or write some poems and take them on the road and come to the bookstore to read them at an event or an open mic. Support can look like so many different things (thank goodness!) Doll hairs are nice – and, honestly, necessary to keep this place open – but I don’t wanna live in a world where that’s the greatest measure of support/success and chances are if you’re reading this you don’t wanna live in that world either.
Check out the Tunnel Books website for ways to get in touch with Merlin or directions to the shop. We are so thankful that they took the time to answer these Q’s with such care and hope you’ll look forward to more of these interviews in the future. If you know a bookshop that should get a feature and who might also want to carry Pitymilk and Bathmatics titles… get in touch with us. As always, we appreciate your support. LONG LIVE SMALL PRESS!!!
