Q: You split your time between Tampa and New York City. What inspired you to open the Lector Social Club here?
A: The concept of Lector Wine Shoppe and Social Club is inspired by Tampa’s historical lineage of los lectores and lectoras, the readers, from the 19th century cigar-factory days. During this era, lectoras read the daily newspapers in multiple languages, recited poetry and great works of literature, as well as comical dramas, while factory workers quietly rolled cigars. This is also when Tampa enjoyed a fluid exchange of ideas between friends from all over the world — Cuba and New York in particular.
As an artist who lives between Tampa and New York, where I’m currently in grad school at NYU studying art and public policy, my aim is to participate in the renaissance Tampa is having by reifying this bridge between the two cities. We’ve already had a number of artists from New York speak at Lector, and will continue to do so in the future.
Q: How did you know Tampa was ready for a sophisticated business like the Lector Social Club?
A: Tampa is experiencing a reawakening and a remembering of its rich histories, and like many secondary cities across the U.S., this lends itself to embracing concepts that merge old and new. The Shuffle bar in Tampa Heights is indicative of this. Plus, natural wine is so pervasive in New York City I imagined Tampa would become keen to the movement soon enough.
Q: Why did you decide to feature only natural wine in your shop?
A: People have become increasingly knowledgeable and invested in learning about what it is they are eating and drinking. Similar to the farm-to-table movement in the restaurant industry, we strive to provide the best quality wine to our customers. As a result, we feature producers who demonstrate sustainable viticultural practices and preclude unnecessary chemicals in their wines. And they just taste fantastic!
Q: Your business features a free lending library. How does this connect to selling wine?
A: The existence of the free library circles back to our namesake, and we pair each of our wines with one of our books. The collection is made possible through a partnership with A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, which was founded to simply be there because someone might need it, and it takes its name from Ernest Hemingway’s famous short story. Hemingway, of course, has his own sordid history with both Florida and Cuba.
Q: What has been the most exciting part of owning your own business in Tampa?
A: Seeing the local community interact with Lector in various ways excites me. Whether we are introducing people to obscure wines, hosting a talk by a Tampa artist or historian, or producing a poetry event or info session with the ACLU, we provide a space that functions at the intersection of conscious wine, art, and social engagement, which feels special. As our membership grows, I am enjoying the process of sourcing new chapbooks to pair with our monthly wine club release. I’m also enjoying getting acquainted with the people at the Tampa Theatre and the Tampa Downtown Partnership.
Q: How do you see Tampa’s art and literary scene evolving?
A: Tampa’s art and literary scene is growing in exponential ways. That has led to the development of a strengthening community of interdisciplinary artists, which means new spaces will be needed to produce — and pay for — their works.
After hosting the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference and the Whale Prom [a free book event] this past spring, I see a potential for Tampa to become a real contender when it comes to attracting national book tours. We have at least one customer at Lector who actually relocated to Tampa after visiting during AWP. Plus, incredible local writers and artists, like Erica Dawson, J.D. Scott, Sarah Gerard, Amber DiPetria, Courtney Alexander, Patty Yumi Cottrell, Yuki Jackson and S.J. Sindu, are creating incomparable work. What’s more, they are not leaving the area. I think the key to supporting this growing community is in sharing resources across the city.
Q: What makes you proud to say you live in Tampa?
A: I am proud to have the opportunity to learn and grow with Lector’s extraordinary team. Each of our members offers a different kind of expertise along with their wine knowledge, and we are all enthusiastic about participating in the natural wine movement in Tampa. At the end of the day, it is the people that make any city worth living in.
Lector Wine Shoppe and Social Club
305 E. Polk St.
lectorsocialclub.com
