Fayetteville’s beloved Dickson Street Bookshop, a haven for book lovers for over four decades, is entering a new chapter. Following the recent passing of its co-founder, Don Choffel, the iconic used bookstore has been inherited by Suedee Hall Elkins, who has been a dedicated part of the shop for over a decade. Elkins, who has managed the bookstore for years, is now entrusted with preserving the magic and legacy of this unique literary institution.
Don Choffel, who passed away at the age of 90, co-founded Dickson Street Bookshop 46 years ago and cultivated it into a treasure trove of over 100,000 used books. The store became renowned for its labyrinthine layout and the passionate community it fostered among its visitors. For many who stepped through its doors, getting lost among the towering shelves was a cherished experience.
Years ago, in a moment that Elkins describes as “shocking,” Choffel casually mentioned his intention to bequeath the bookstore to her upon his passing. “When I die, the business will go to you,” he had said. Elkins recalls feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the responsibility. “It was kind of shocking,” she admitted. “I was like, ‘What now?'” She expressed a sense of humility, feeling almost unworthy of such a significant inheritance. “It’s a big thing,” she said. “Trying to fill his shoes, I’ll be lucky if I can fill up one pinky toe of one shoe. He was bigger than life.”
Choffel’s passing occurred on a Sunday night, April 6th, after he went home feeling unwell the previous Saturday. His absence was immediately felt at the bookstore, a place he rarely left. “He’d left me a note,” Elkins recounted about that Saturday. “It was just one day, but I was like, ‘Man, I really miss our morning banter.’ And that was just one day. And now it’s the rest of my life.” Despite his age, Choffel had been in good health, making his sudden death even more poignant for those who knew him.
Elkins believes Choffel saw her dedication to the bookstore and recognized her passion for its continued existence. “I love this place, and I know that Don knew that,” she said. Her commitment to the bookstore is evident in her own words, “I don’t think I took a vacation for the first six or seven years. I’m the kind of person that doesn’t take a sick day and doesn’t take a vacation because I want to be here. And Don is very much the same way. I think that he saw that in me.” Choffel’s decision to pass the bookstore to Elkins was a testament to his foresight and trust in her ability to uphold his vision.
Choffel had resisted numerous opportunities to sell the Dickson Street Bookshop, prioritizing its preservation over personal financial gain. “He could have easily sold the building and made a million dollars and moved to Cuba or whatever, but that’s not what he wanted,” Elkins explained. “He wanted the bookstore to be here.” This unwavering commitment to the bookstore’s presence in Fayetteville speaks volumes about Choffel’s dedication to the community and the literary haven he had created.
A History Rooted in Books: From Chicago to Dickson Street
Don Choffel’s journey with books began long before Dickson Street Bookshop. He operated three bookshops in Chicago before relocating to Fayetteville in 1969. His initial purpose in Fayetteville was to supply books to the burgeoning community colleges in the region as they established their libraries. In the 1970s, Choffel’s path crossed with Charles O’Donnell in Fayetteville. A shared passion for books and a compatible partnership led them to establish Dickson Street Bookshop.
“I had books in a chicken house out at Cane Hill,” Choffel recalled in a 2014 interview, highlighting the humble beginnings of their venture. Dickson Street Bookshop first opened its doors on the north side of Dickson Street in 1978. Its growing success prompted a move to the south side of the street in the early 1980s when Choffel purchased a building. This building, previously a commercial laundry, still retains a ramp, a quirky reminder of its past life, which was once used for moving laundry carts between levels.
Choffel and O’Donnell, born on the same day in 1933, shared not just a birth year but a deep bond through their bookstore. O’Donnell, originally from Boston, passed away in 2019, also from natural causes. Adding to the bookstore’s colorful history, Elkins mentioned a bullet hole in the front window, a relic from a past incident involving O’Donnell. “I don’t remember the story behind why the guy was angry,” she admitted, leaving another layer of intrigue to the bookstore’s rich tapestry.
The bookstore’s vast collection is meticulously organized, ranging from Aeronautics to Zoology, and sometimes, as the website humorously notes, “Aardvarks to Zymurgy.” O’Donnell often boasted, “We’re the best bookshop within 600 miles in any direction,” a testament to their confidence in the quality and selection offered at Dickson Street Bookshop. Recently, the oldest book in stock was a 1648 edition of Helvetia Sancta, a German language book about saints and theologians, priced at $900, showcasing the rare and valuable finds that await within its walls.
The Magic of Dickson Street Bookshop: A Community’s Heart
Following the news of Choffel’s death, Dickson Street Bookshop’s Facebook page became flooded with heartfelt messages, underscoring the profound impact the store has had on countless individuals. Melissa Britt wrote, “I am so sad to read this. Like so many others, the shop holds a special place in my heart, and my first visit is a core memory.” She vividly recalled the sensory experience of exploring the bookstore: “I remember wandering through the shelves, smelling the paper, running my finger along the spines of books, turning the corner and thinking, ‘oh, there’s more, how delightful!’ And then turning another corner, and thinking how marvelous it would be just to live there.”
Britt’s message highlighted how the bookstore’s charm extended beyond mere book browsing. She shared a touching anecdote about how Dickson Street Bookshop played a pivotal role in her son’s college decision. “When my husband and I took our son on a campus visit last year, I kept telling him, just wait, the best part isn’t even on campus,” she wrote. “Then we took him to the bookshop. He took one step inside, turned to me, and said ‘this is where I am going to college.’ I remember sharing with friends that the deciding factor was absolutely the Dickson Street Bookshop.” This story perfectly encapsulates the unique allure and influence of Dickson Street Bookshop.
Harrison Lowe, an employee at Dickson Street Bookshop in Fayetteville, organizes reference books, continuing the legacy of this beloved independent bookstore.
Kimberly V. Fulton of Harrison echoed the sentiment of magic, calling it “One of Fayetteville’s most magical places.” She expressed gratitude to Choffel, “Thank you, Don, for what you gave us all. I’ll be looking for books in your aisles all the rest of my life!” The word “magic” frequently surfaces when people describe Dickson Street Bookshop, and it’s a sentiment Elkins wholeheartedly embraces.
“I think this place, it sounds silly, but I think that it really does hold all kinds of magic,” Elkins said. She shared an enchanting anecdote illustrating this belief: “People come in and they’ll ask for a book. And if we don’t have it, I’ll say, ‘Call us tomorrow or the next day because now that you’ve come in the store and you’ve said out loud what you wanted, it will come to us.’ And I mean, it’s amazing how often that happens. I mean the book will walk in that day or the next day so often. It’s like the universe hears and it answers.” This charming story reinforces the bookstore’s reputation as a place where serendipity and literary discovery intertwine.
Elkins cherishes the reactions of first-time visitors who often sense this magic immediately. “So it’s like it never really gets old, it never really dies,” she explained, emphasizing the enduring enchantment of the bookstore experience.
Suedee Hall Elkins: A Lifelong Connection and New Ownership
For Suedee Hall Elkins, her connection to Dickson Street Bookshop is deeply personal and long-standing. In a story that seems almost predestined, Elkins revealed, “When Elkins was 8 years old, she told her mother she wanted to work at the Dickson Street Bookshop when she grew up.” Her family had been taking her to the bookstore since she was an infant, embedding it into the fabric of her childhood and dreams.
Growing up in Fayetteville, Elkins pursued her passion for art, earning a bachelor’s degree in ceramics from the University of Arkansas and later undertaking graduate work at Louisiana State University. Despite her artistic pursuits, the pull of Dickson Street Bookshop remained. When a friend sought a change of scenery and considered moving to Fayetteville, Elkins instinctively recommended her dream workplace.
“I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s my dream job,'” Elkins recounted about her friend landing a position at Dickson Street Bookshop. Ironically, despite her lifelong aspiration, Elkins had been hesitant to apply herself. “I was always too nervous to even apply, like I wasn’t worthy of it,” she confessed. She perceived the bookstore as something larger than life, an institution almost beyond reach. “It was more of like, this place is bigger than life, this place is bigger than any of us,” she explained. “I’m not sure any of us are worthy of it. I mean, Don and Charles, sure.”
Suedee Hall Elkins, the new owner of Dickson Street Bookshop, stands in the Fayetteville store, ready to carry on the vision of its founders.
Overcoming her initial apprehension, Elkins finally applied and met with Choffel and O’Donnell. Her recollection of the interview reveals Choffel’s down-to-earth approach. “And I remember Don pulled me aside kind of over by the mythology of folklore section and he asked me a series of questions that were very low-key, like ‘Do you mind cleaning the bathrooms? Are you OK with climbing ladders?’ Just very basic things.” Her positive responses impressed Choffel. “And I remember, he turned and he looked at my friend Hanna and he goes, ‘I like her.’ And that was that. I started in January of 2010.”
Since joining Dickson Street Bookshop, Elkins has become an integral part of its operations, hiring all 11 current employees, some of whom have been with the store for over seven years. She values the experience and knowledge of her long-term staff, recognizing that some aspects of bookselling are learned through time and immersion. “You can train a lot of things, but just the experience and knowing what sells, what to pick up and what to refuse, I can’t teach all that,” she said. “You just have to be around long enough to absorb it. So it’s good to have people that stick around, for that reason. And also I think it’s good for any business when people come in they see the same faces over and over for years.”
While Dickson Street Bookshop primarily thrives as a brick-and-mortar experience, it maintains a limited online presence, listing around 500 specialized titles on Amazon. Elkins prefers to reserve the most captivating finds for in-store discovery. “I like to keep all the really fun stuff in the store,” she explained, “and I really want people that are making the effort to come in here to be the ones who find the gems and the ones to see the cool things and be able to experience those things. If you put all the good things online, then all the people who are making the effort to come here won’t get to enjoy it.”
Looking ahead, Elkins intends to honor Choffel’s legacy by maintaining the bookstore’s unique character and operating principles. Having worked closely with him for 15 years, she is deeply familiar with his vision. “My plan is to never retire,” she declared. “I hope I live to be 90 and still have my body and my mind like Don because, what a dream, right?” With Suedee Hall Elkins at the helm, Dickson Street Bookshop is poised to continue its reign as a literary sanctuary, a magical place where the love of books and community intertwine for generations to come.
