This time of year, the cold winter air and its natural stillness beckon us to curl up beneath a warm blanket and read a good book. A short drive to Columbia will take you to Ghostlight Books, the perfect place to choose your next read. A non-profit bookstore run entirely by volunteers, Ghostlight Books recently relocated from Spring Hill to Columbia’s Art District.
Ghostlight may at first seem like a peculiar name for a bookstore. The term refers to a single lamp left on in the theater between productions or when it is closed. In a practical sense, it helps keep stagehands and actors from falling or having a misstep into a trap door, the orchestra pit, or stumbling over part of the set. Historically, however, a ghostlight is said to provide light for any spirits residing in the theater. While that may sound silly, some see this tradition as a nod to the past, honoring those who have performed before them. In any case, the name aptly fits this unique non-profit bookstore with a mission to increase access to arts education and promote literacy.
Ghostlight Books first came into existence in 2017 when Midsouth Youth Theatre & Arts volunteers gathered books to sell as a fundraiser. The goal was to raise money to help fund tuition-free productions and arts education opportunities for students in the Spring Hill community and surrounding areas. As interest grew, their once small fundraiser turned into opening a bookstore in November 2020, continuing to benefit programs centered around arts access and education.
Stepping into the bookstore, you will find a variety of new and used books, toys, games, and gifts. Ghostlight houses over forty local vendors, including jewelry, prints, and crocheted items. As you peruse the shelves, you will also likely meet the director’s cats, Neil Gaimeown and Terry Scratchett, whose names are a nod to the co-authors of Good Omens.
The Director of Ghostlight Books, Sarah Kennedy, first developed a love of the arts while in college. When asked about her passion for arts education, she reflected on the saying, “Be what. you needed as a kid.” Pouring her heart, soul, and energy into the arts, Kennedy has worked in theater for the better part of the past twenty-five years. She helped found Midsouth Youth Theatre & Arts, but with the onset of the pandemic, opportunities and spaces for performing dwindled, leading Kennedy to establish The Ghostlight Foundation as a non-profit specific to the bookstore. Her desire has been to offer tuition-free arts education for children through the non-profit, covering the cost of hiring teachers and providing supplies. Kennedy currently works for Watershed Public Theater, focusing her efforts on education and outreach.
Kennedy’s commitment to the community doesn’t end there. Seeing a need for children to have access to tutoring and assistance with homework, Ghostlight has expanded its mission to include future opportunities for tutoring, developing a reading buddies program, and offering space for children to work on homework or projects with assistance. The desire is to make Ghostlight Books, “less of a store and more of a gathering place for the community.” The hope is it will be a place where people can find connection with resources and each other. Stating that they will always be a bookstore, Kennedy shared her desire to focus on, “identifying what the community needs and ways [the foundation] can help.”
As Ghostlight turns the page to this new chapter in Columbia and all of us turn the calendar year from one to the next, it is a natural time for reflection, goal-setting, and focus on overall well-being. As such, we have curated a list of books for readers to enjoy in the year ahead.
SkinnyTaste Simple by Gina Homolka & Heather K. Jones, R.D.
Attempts to eat healthy can feel overwhelming when you look at the list of ingredients in many cookbooks. In SkinnyTaste Simple, Holmoka and Jones have simplified recipes to seven ingredients or less. They offer the perfect balance of flavor and nutrition all your family will surely enjoy.
52 Ways to Walk by Annabel Abbs-Streets
Ready to get moving in the new year but not quite ready for that aerobics class? This book offers 52 types of walks to get you on your feet. Whether walking with your dog or strolling among trees, you will find inspiration here to move toward a healthier you.
Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life by Jamie Kern Lima
Have you ever questioned if you are enough? Self-doubt comes at a price. Shifting your mindset about what you believe you are worthy of is life-changing. Read Worthy to find help getting unstuck, as you stop believing lies that you are unworthy or unloveable,
overcome limiting beliefs, and embrace who you truly are.
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant
Encouraging mental flexibility and humility, Grant challenges readers to question their own opinions and let go of views that no longer serve them well. The cognitive skills of rethinking and unlearning are valued as part of intelligence, and the author reveals how to embrace the joy of being wrong and harness the advantages of imposter syndrome.
How to Walk Into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away by Emily P. Freeman
As you reflect on the past year and look to the year ahead, are you facing decisions about change in your life? Guiding questions throughout this book help the reader discern and navigate the how, when, and what now of change with confidence and
peace.
Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey Means, M.D. and Calley Means
A #1 New York Times Bestseller, Good Energy contains cutting-edge research and personal stories helping readers understand how metabolic function affects every part of their physical and mental health. The book includes a four-week plan explaining a new
framework for exercise and six lifelong food principles intended to optimize one’s ability to live well.
Ghostlight Books
1106 South Garden Street
Columbia
GhostlightBooks.org
@ghostlightbks