San Francisco bookstore City Lights’ dedication to community helps keep it in business

Amidst the evolving landscape of the book industry, City Lights, the renowned bookstore in San Francisco’s North Beach continues to illuminate the path for book lovers. 

For Paul Yamazaki, a long-time buyer at City Lights, the bookstore is not just a place of commerce but a labor of love.

“I think I’m one of the few independent booksellers who can say they went straight from jail to a job in independent bookselling,” reflects Yamazaki. 

His journey from activism to advocacy for diverse literary representation mirrors the bookstore’s commitment to fostering inclusivity and intellectual exploration. As a third-generation Japanese American, protesting against war cost him some jail time as a young student, but he said that is just the path that led him to where he is today.

“We felt that particularly for students of color that we weren’t being represented in curriculum by the faculty and by the outreach into the various communities,” explained Yamazaki. 

After being released, City Lights founder, the late Lawrence Ferlinghetti, took a chance on him, giving him an opportunity to work at the bookstore. Fifty-four years later, it has become Yamazaki’s passion. 

As an independent bookstore, City Lights faces formidable challenges from online retailers like Amazon, according to the American Booksellers Association. Despite these hurdles, Yamazaki remains steadfast in his mission to bring global knowledge to San Francisco’s diverse readership.

Long-time patrons like author Mars Breslow reminisce about the bookstore’s enduring appeal, recalling how City Lights welcomed readers from all walks of life, regardless of their ability to purchase books.

“I didn’t have any money for books then. Some bookstores would kick you out, but City Lights would let you come down here and spend hours; you could read the whole book if you didn’t have any money to buy it,” recalls Breslow, whose granddaughter Sierra Breslow Zakasky now frequents the store with him.

It’s the kind of community commitment Ferlinghetti always envisioned.

“If you like being able to see the vast kind of really wonderful work being written and published today, then a good bookstore is still the best place to go,”  Yamazaki said.

For Yamazaki, the bookstore’s future involves exploring new avenues to sustain its mission, including the possibility of transitioning into a nonprofit organization. He said he is always actively looking for innovative ways to ensure the lights stay on at City Lights.

 “People see themselves when they come and browse the books we have here,” Yamazaki said.