Tattered Cover teams up with Clara Villarosa, founder of Hue-Man Experience Bookstore
DENVER — Tattered Cover Book Store, which underwent a change of ownership in December, announced February 9 that it is partnering with Clara Villarosa to “foster diversity in literature.”
Villarosa, 90, is the founder of Hue-Man Experience Bookstore in Denver, which was open from 1984 to 2000. It closed after Villarosa sold the location and moved the business to Harlem. With Tattered Cover, Villarosa will be “providing thoughtful guidance on book selections that encourage diversity, equity and inclusion,” according to a press release.
“I’ve always had a real affinity for Tattered Cover, beginning with its previous owner, Joyce Meskis, graciously acting as my mentor when I opened my first bookstore,” Villarosa said in the release. “At this point in my life, reviving the Hue-Man brand wasn’t something I had previously imagined. However, in light of recent events, the need for this sort of inclusive curation and focus on diversity in literature is as evident as ever. My goal for this partnership with Tattered Cover is to build awareness around important issues, while giving a voice to Black authors.”
Villarosa moved to Colorado in 1969. She later became the chief psychiatric social worker at Denver's Children's Hospital. In 2009, she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for her book, “Down to Business: The First 10 Steps to Entrepreneurship for Women.”
“With more than 37 years of experience selling Black literature, Clara has the expertise to lead us forward in a way that will make Denver proud,” said Tattered Cover CEO Kwame Spearman. “I have countless fond memories of visiting her store as a child and it is an honor to give a new home to Hue-Man Experience, which has meant so much to me and to many others.”
At Tattered Cover, Villarosa’s Hue-Man Experience will provide book selections and recommendations for educators, companies, and other organizations who are looking for reading material from underrepresented authors.
“When a school seeks to expand its curriculum to be reflective of a more diverse world, the Hue-Man Experience at Tattered Cover will help them select and acquire those titles,” Spearman said. “When a large organization needs resources for staff development and conversations around issues of race, we are their partners.”
Villarosa has already released a short list of recommended reading in celebration of Black History Month and the partnership with Tattered Cover:
- “Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement” edited by Ejeris Dixon and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
- “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah
- “Deacon King Kong” by James McBride
- “Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernardine Evaristo
- “The Echoing Ida Collection” edited by Cynthia R. Greenlee, Kemi Alabi and Janna A. Zinzi
- “Yellow Wife” by Sadeqa Johnson
After the December sale, members of the new ownership group claimed that Spearman’s stake in Tattered Cover made it the largest Black-owned bookstore in the United States. But as 5280 Magazine reports, that claim was met with backlash from many Black booksellers across the U.S.
Tattered Cover also announced that the new Hue-Man Experience program includes a “community outreach arm” to connect local artists and authors.