Tewalt to tell tales of Sisters at bookstore

Paulina Springs Books is poised to become a hub for social events in Sisters. Beginning Monday, April 1, at 6 p.m., new owner Lane Jacobson will be hosting the first Open Mic Night.

The public is invited to participate and/or watch as their friends and neighbors share their talents — storytelling, poetry reading, musical performance, magic tricks, whatever talent they want to share.

The idea for the first Monday night of every month grew out of a conversation Jacobson had with Dick Sandvik, original owner of Paulina Springs Books, and Jim Cornelius, who worked for Sandvik in the early days and is now the editor of The Nugget Newspaper. Jacobson has previous experience with these types of events in his former position as the manager of a bookstore in another state, where they hosted 300 different events a year.

A simple question from Sandvik, “Are you going to provide any kind of venue for musicians,” grew into the Open Mic Night and broadened to include talents of many kinds. People who would like a chance at the microphone should arrive by 5:45 p.m. to sign up for a spot in the lineup. These evenings are free of charge for performers and audience members.

“It is a goal of mine to create a fun, regular community space where people can gather,” Jacobson explained.

To that end, in addition to the usual author nights and the Open Mic Nights, the second Wednesday of every month is reserved for Board Game Night at 6 p.m. The public is invited to bring their own games or the store has a large selection for purchase in the back corner. Jacobson encourages people to bring their friends to play or come on their own and find others to join. He wants people to know the bookstore is regularly available on an established schedule as a gathering spot. Just show up.

“I want to use the bookstore as a platform to provide creative community events,” Jacobson said.

On Monday, April 1, to kick things off, Gary Tewalt will entertain with some of his wonderful stories about life in “old” Sisters. Sandvik and Cornelius are on tap for a song or two. Jacobson hopes others will round out the evening. Light refreshments will be provided.