When Josh Spencer opened The Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles, he thought it was going to fail within three years due to the declining state of the book industry. That’s why he chose the boldly ironic name. But The Last Bookstore has thrived. In this documentary from Chad Howitt, Welcome to The Last Bookstore, we learn about the successful shop and its owner Spencer, who is a husband, father, and paraplegic.
Spencer opens up about getting hit by a car and successfully adjusting to life as a paraplegic. He brought his no-fear mindset into his new career. “I’ve lost things in my life much more traumatic than a business. … If I can deal with that, I can certainly deal with a business failing,” he says. But it doesn’t sound like he has to worry about that: The Last Bookstore is extremely busy and has a crowd of regulars.
The extraordinary design of the store would be enough of a reason to visit, though. The huge space is filled with sculptures made of books, a mammoth head mounted on the wall, and white columns. But then there’s also the passion and dedication of Spencer and the staff. “We’ve tried to add a real human element,” says Spencer. “We want it to be an authentic, real experience versus something that’s cold and calculated. I think that’s the difference. I think that’s one reason why we’ve been able to do well when other bookstores perhaps are struggling.”
One highlight of the documentary is getting to see Spencer sort through boxes of books that people have sold or donated to the bookstore. Going through boxes of old books sounds like it would be fun for any bookworm, and Spencer agrees: “It’s kind of a fantasy job for anybody who’s really in love with all kinds of books and who loves finding buried treasure.” And he’s not just talking about rare books: “I found 500 bucks one time, weird love letters, a pressed pot leaf in a Song of Solomon book one time.”
Of the book business, Spencer says, “I think that the digital age has made print books more popular. … It’s just made everyone come out of the woodwork who really wants to see print books survive.”
