Rant. I have been jonesin’ for a good bookstore. Not a “rare and fine old” bookstore for collectors with money to spare, not a Christian bookstore, not a pagan bookstore, not a New Age bookstore, not a museum bookstore, not a zen bookstore… and not even a Borders. Just a REAL bookstore, with a diverse offering of brand new books, tall wooden bookshelves, a kids’ korner, a magazine section, and a shelf full of staff picks. And maybe also a used section. But still, lots of new books. Because people are still writing books! They haven’t stopped writing or being published! And how about a bookstore with a nice cafe, where you can take your purchases and read them over a cup of coffee and a danish?

Now Santa Cruz—30 miles away—has that. Logos, Bookshop SC, the Literary Guillotine, and Capitola Book Cafe. And I remember when the Hip Pocket bookstore was making waves as the first indie bookstore in that area (before the University showed up). But—south of Santa Cruz? It’s sad. Just…sad.

Don’t get me wrong—Watsonville has a great library, and Monterey County is full of excellent libraries. Even Castroville has a nice library that occasionally displays some surprising acquisitions. They try hard to fill in the gaps. But still. Sometimes you just want a book of your own. And sometimes, you wanna hang out at the bookstore, and look at all those lovely new book covers, you know? Doesn’t it give you hope to know that writers are out there still coming up with ideas for new novels, poems, and non-fiction narratives? Even in this lousey economy, they’re still trying to communicate—they are actually putting time into writing and submitting manuscripts, and getting them published.

Henry Miller Library

But I’ve been looking around here, and—nothing. Salinas, Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Monterey, Carmel-by-Sea, Seaside, Marina, Soledad, Watsonville, Gonzalez, King City, Pacific Grove, for Godssake. The closest thing to a serious indie bookstore south of Santa Cruz probably for at least 150 miles is at the Henry Miller Memorial Library (and bookstore) in Big Sur, an hour and a half away from where I live. So, damn, what would we have done without Henry?! But even the Henry Miller tends to focus on beat-era and Miller-associated books. So it’s specialized and limited. Not to mention, a little inaccessible.

I know, I know, the publishing industry is changing. Yadda yadda. Everybody is buying Kindles and reading on iPads. But they’re still buying books, too — as, witness: Santa Cruz.

And some of the towns I mentioned are smallish. But Monterey–the self-professed language center of Monterey Bay, with a population of over 27,000, two military colleges, the Monterey Institute of International Policy, the “U.S.A.’s largest foreign language institute,” a community college, a major educational publisher (CTB McGraw-Hill) and a nearby state university–doesn’t have a real bricks and mortar bookstore? It’s hard to believe!

Don’t tell me there isn’t anyone with enough capital over there to start up a bookstore. One look at the cars in the Whole Foods parking lot, and you know it’s there. Apparently there just isn’t anyone in the area with capital who thinks that books are that important.

Come on, people. I’m tired of driving 30 miles for a decent bookstore.

End of rant.

In the meantime here’s something definitely worth checking out: East of Eden Cooking, which local blogger, Deborah Ryan, brought to my attention. Gorgeous photos of food!

A couple years ago, when I was finishing my Ph.D. dissertation, I was a briefly a member of NextSpace, a coworking space in Santa Cruz, CA, one of many now being created in locations globally (there’s even a coworking space in Mongolia!).

NextSpace: 1 Year of Success in an Economic Downturn (abridged) from NextSpace Coworking on Vimeo.

Even though I didn’t have much chance to participate in the community, I enjoyed the relaxed, friendly, serendipitous atmosphere, and the busy feeling of people at work. Had I been an entrepreneur or job hunting, there were frequent chances to meet other workers and attend workshops, and I knew there was great potential there to find collaborators, mentors, and more importantly, jobs. I got a lot of work done at NextSpace (which, by the way, now has locations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Jose). Coworking definitely is not the same as cubicle working, and it’s not “just” shared office space.

At home, it is easy to distract myself, even though there are no children in the house. In the isolation of home, it can be hard to keep up a momentum. The silence seems to announce that it’s time to do anything but work. The buzz of co-workers around me makes me feel and be more productive.

Coworking refers to a shared work environment and a set of community and cultural values that guide the development and operation of office space: facilities where freelancers, entrepreneurs, telecommuters, and drop-ins work side-by-side. The benefits of a coworking space come from allowing independent and startup ventures to bypass rote logistical obstacles, like obtaining office or workshop space, and from valuing a free-form collaborative environment for sharing resources, expertise, and ideas. —Mark W. Kidd

Still, I eventually gave up my membership. I didn’t return, even after I finished my Ph.D. and became a part-time lecturer and free-lance editor and writer.

In “Why People Don’t CoWork Yet,” Carsten Foertsch looks at the possible reasons why people don’t cowork:

The two most important reasons first: either there is simply no coworking space in their vicinity, or they are tied to jobs in companies. About one in eight non-coworkers said price was a barrier to their participation – but sadly these people are the ones who could benefit the most from coworking…About a third of these respondents are not yet coworkers because no such facility exists anywhere near them.

Castroville’s main thoroughfare

Right. I live in rural Elkhorn, some 25 miles from NextSpace. Elkhorn isn’t even recognized as a “town” by locals; it’s the site of a large wetlands area and wildlife preserve that draws kayakers, wildlife enthuasiasts, and people who love the area. The drive to Santa Cruz cost me gas and time, as well as the monthly fee for membership, so in the end, it didn’t seem quite worth it. (Note: most coworking spaces charge minimal fee for membership and rent. At least one space, Gangplank, in Arizona, provides coworking space for free, based on a social capital model).

The “rural” label I apply to my local area is a little misleading; Elkhorn is situated within a few miles of various small towns like Prunedale, Castroville, Moss Landing, and Watsonville, all communities with small libraries and community centers, and main streets with empty or underutilized commercial spaces for rent (as well as stores, restaurants, and other businesses in operation).

A storefront for rent in Moss Landing.

Coworking has been mainly an urban and suburban phenomenon. Nevertheless, I have often thought that a rural coworking space would be useful in this area. Rural folks are feeling the impact of the economy too. Like everyone else, many here have lost their jobs, and have resorted to freelancing and juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet.

It would seem that rural areas can’t provide much infrastructure for a community of freelance workers or small entrepreneurs and crafters. Yet, increasingly, rural coworking spaces are popping up. Quoted in The Daily Yonder, Garrio Harrison, who is involved in a coworking site in rural Minnesota, says that the basics you need for coworking include “coffee, desk space, and reliable wifi Internet access,” although it wouldn’t hurt to have printers and scanners, a conference room, and a lounge.

How to cowork in Tok, Alaska (by Aliza Sherman):

1. My house
2. Her house
3. Fast Eddy’s
4. the Grumpy Griz
5. Another location (library?)
6. Skype or Google Video

The heavy IT focus of urban and suburban coworking models and technology driven business incubators such as the local Marina Technology Cluster may not work as well in a rural setting, where, I suspect, a community that equally welcomes small business entrepreneurs, crafters, IT folks, as well as writers and other creative types will be important. Coworking should also be open to diverse cultures and generations of creative workers.

In an interview in Deskmag with rural coworkers, Joel reported that coworkers in his area “place a high emphasis on meeting and interaction with other small business people and entrepreneurs. And our biggest events are the ones where networking and interaction are the focus.” Frederik commented that “coworking offers a new perspective and different opportunities since it is a little hard to build interest groups around specific vocations in small towns.”

Storefronts on Moss Landing Rd.

I also think that those who go into the coworking scheme thinking mostly about “what it will do for me” may be taking the wrong path. While coworking should definitely nurture individual needs, it’s also very much about community, and creating a vibrant space for local workers and entrepreneurs to thrive. So you have to ask, What can coworking do for small towns like Castroville, Prunedale, Moss Landing, or Watsonville?

Jessica Stillman points out that remote workers who utilize coworking space put money back into the community. “NextSpace [in Santa Cruz] used an economic development model to sell the idea of coworking to the local authorities, noting that while it might be hard to attract a big employer to airport-less Santa Cruz, there was little stopping individual remote workers from basing themselves there.

“We realized after chasing a lot of companies that instead of attracting one 200-person business, we should attract 200 one-person businesses. The economic impact is bigger, and some of those businesses will grow,” the mayor explained.”

But how to start a coworking space in this area?

2nd St. Cafe, Watsonville.

Well, you may have to start by making “Jelly.” That is, gather together a group of people who are interested in coworking. Gauge the local interest. Meet in a space that has Wifi and hopefully coffee and snacks (a cafe, house, library, community center, empty storefront). Add a dash of talk, ideas, creativity, work to do, and enthusiasm, and you may just have the beginnings of a coworking community. It’s not hard to find articles on how to start Jellies. Check out Judy Heminsley’s article, “How to Jelly: a Guide to Casual Coworking,” on Shareable. So…rural coworking, anyone?

Are you coworking in a rural area? Are you coworking in a city? How is it working out for you?

Castroville Library.

Some articles that may provide ideas for starting a local coworking group:
*Coworking in Big Cities vs. Small Towns (Deskmag)
*How to Start a CoWorking Space in Your Small Town (Small Biz Survival)
*Jelly for Home Workers (How to Work from Home)
*Coworking to Quickstart Rural Innovation (Daily Yonder)
*Why People Don’t Cowork (Yet) (Deskmag)
*Five Big Myths About Coworking (Deskmag)
*The Rural Way of Coworking (Deskmag)

And, as promised to Jane, here are my 2 films of the remains of Moss Landing Pier:

Photo by M.A. Fink

Lola Jane’s World
Blue Planet Divers
Market Tales – Monterey
Debi Shearwater’s Journies
Ladybug Letter
Running and Rambling
Humble Uker’s Ramblings
Take 25 to Hollister
Marine Labs Student Blog
Parallel Words
Maria Loves Words

If you know of more, tell me in comments!

…also to catch some of those sunny rays that are so hard to get on the foggy coast during the winter, but are still abundant further east near Hollister.

Belle Farms olive oil is also a favorite, and can be purchased in the local farmers’ markets (Aptos, Santa Cruz, Monterey).