PicoBlog

I joke that I can shop in a black hole. Given, the closest I’ve come to proving this theory is finding a thrift store in the wilds of southeast Alaska. But you get the idea: I am a very good shopper.

Being a good shopper is different from being a big shopper. The satisfaction I get from the retail game has nothing to do with what I buy, but what I see. For me, it’s less about acquisition and more about education.

Visiting a beautifully designed and well curated store is like going to an art gallery: it stimulates me visually. It’s a way for me to gauge a market and find out what folks are buying, which helps me do my job. And it’s a great process to explore new cities: I’ll often make a Google map of stores I want to experience and base my meals and other diversions around the route they create. But mainly I do it because it’s fun and makes me happy.

Shopping Around is a new recurring feature that will spotlight exceptional retail experiences in Nashville and beyond — places that you’ll want to visit for the vibe and space as much as for what’s in it.

This week’s installment is an interview with Rebecca Moon Cullum, the owner of Nashville’s coolest indie bookstore, The Green Ray.

TGR opened in 2021 in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston district as part of May Co-Op, a short-lived retail project by AJ Capital, the Nashville-based firm that is developing the heart of the neighborhood. The Green Ray’s next and current home is in East Nashville, on the side of a building on the left side of Gallatin Pike, just before you get to the second Kroger (locals will know what I mean).

Rebecca grew up nearby in Murfreesboro, where she nurtured her love of unique and rare art and culture books. She moved to Nashville around 2007 and worked “every restaurant and salon in town” before making her longtime dream of opening a bookstore come true. And it’s not just books: the size of the second location allowed her to carry more than just books: TGR also stocks scents, candles, kitchen sundries, and home goods.

I recently interviewed her via email about her and the store’s ascent. Here’s what she had to say.

LIBBY: I read that you grew up combing secondhand bookstores in your hometown of Murfreesboro and in Nashville. When and how did you fall in love with books?

REBECCA: As soon as I got my driver’s license, I was frequenting every bookstore in the tristate area on the regular. Murfreesboro was a lot less developed then, but full of cool and interesting people if you looked in the right places. I’m looking at you, Red Rose, RIP. I spent a lot of time there and in bookstores on weekends perusing the art, photography and poetry sections. 

L: When did you start actively collecting? And what were the early genres you were attracted to?

R: I started collecting books a little later, when I had more pocket money and started traveling out of state with friends. Poetry, essays, photography and hippie cookbooks were always on my radar. 

L: Did you sell books at pop-ups or online?

R: We did a few pop-ups — The Blue Room at Third Man Records, imogene + willie, Urban Cowboy, Grimey’s, Be Good Market — when we were just getting started and that helped get the word out a lot! And we are working on launching our website soon where you will be able to buy online, but it does scare me. I don’t know why. It seems like a daunting task! 

L: I know that the first location of The Green Ray opened in 2021 in the May Hosiery Co-op. What was the impetus to open a physical store? 

R: We all had year-long leases there, so before that was up I was on the hunt for a storefront. I posted about looking for an affordable lease on the Eastside thinking there’s no way, an impossible ask. But the community here is so incredible, I got leads right away and within 30 minutes of hearing about our current lease opening up, we secured it! I took that as a sign to just go for it and I’m glad I did. 

L: I was so impressed the first time I visited. I hate comparing the amenities of Nashville to those of other cities, but I got the same vibe I get visiting a really good indie bookseller in New York or LA. Are there any specific stores that you looked to for inspiration in terms of curation, design or programming?

R: Thanks for saying that. Gosh, so many great art book shops in other cities that inspired TGR: 0FR,  Karma, Dashwood, Mast, Owl Bureau, Baltimore Photo Space, Head Hi, I could go on… 

L: I’m always fascinated to know the history of buildings in East. What was in your space before you moved in? 

R: Before us, it was a great shop called Nashville Dry Goods. I think Toro was involved in it for a while, too. Both shops still exist. Toro has a photo studio now within their shop behind Joyland. Nashville Dry Goods is now in Franklin, I believe. They both helped facilitate the move and were endlessly helpful. The small biz community here rules. 

L: I may be wrong, but I remember there being more vintage books in the mix in the first iteration of the store. Did you sell pieces from your personal collection or buy for the project?

R: Most of those were from my personal collection, which I regret now that some of those are nowhere to be found, ha. And the prices I sold them at! Lucky customers! There are a few that make my heart sting a bit when I think of them. The vintage/rare books are sometimes at a higher price point, so I’m still working with what we should and shouldn’t carry. I need a special case for those. 

L: Can you name a few titles that you sold early on that were especially rare or memorable to you?

R: I had one of the only full sets in existence (as far at the inter webs are concerned) of the short-lived publication, EROS. WITH THE BOOK SLEEVE!!!  Near perfect condition. EROS was a publication in the early sixties that ceased to exist after the publisher had charges brought against him for federal obscenity laws. Also contained the last portraits taken of Marilyn Monroe six weeks before her death. What I sold it for haunts me. You live and you learn. 

L Who are some of publishers you work with?

R: The first indie photo book publisher that said yes to us was TBW Books out of Oakland. Anthology, Mack Books, Aperture, Matte Editions and Loose Joints are some others we carry in the shop.

L: As a new store, was it hard getting houses to work with you?

R: I was afraid no one would want to sell to us at such low quantities, since we were in no way established, but they have all been exceptionally helpful and encouraging. We just had a launch party for a new Aperture title Dark Waters from Kristine Potter and that was a thrill. I have found that most (all?) book publishers want bookstores to thrive and they certainly want to sell their books in as many places as possible.

L: Thank you for stocking indie magazines! As long as I’ve been in Nashville, there’s never been a truly great source for independent titles or ‘zines. Where did you shop for magazines before you started carrying them?

R: Magazines have been the thorn in my side since we opened. I initially wanted a whole wall of them, but magazines are hard to get at prices that people will buy them in the U.S. I’m still trying to sort out a way to get more hard-to-get titles in here without losing money. As for where I bought them before our shop, NOWHERE IN NASHVILLE. Not the ones I want anyway, ha. Working on it. JJ’s Market used to have a great magazine section back in the day. Another unfortunate RIP. 

L: This is just my impression, so it may be off, but at the first location it felt like most of the books were devoted to art, music and film. At the new store, there has been an expansion into other genres, like design and food. How do you choose the genres to include in the store?

R: We always had design, but not much food at the old location. Now that we have a shelf dedicated to pantry items, I wanted to add in some gorgeous cookbooks as well. Most everything in the store is something I wanted for myself first or something I would love to receive as a gift: a beautiful cookbook, fancy olive oil, and bag of flakey salt is a winning gift no matter what you’re into, right? 

L: I love that you’ve expanded into products, including Flamingo Estate, which was hard to find here for a long time. Did you make an effort to include products that aren’t widely available? Or do you just stock based on what strikes your fancy?

R: A little bit of both. It’s hard to stay ahead of the curve, but we generally like to stock things that aren’t so readily available. At least, not on the Eastside. I carry an amber oil that I’ve been buying at Whole Foods for years. But driving to Whole Foods isn’t something I want to do… ever. So I got it for the shop. We’re expanding our fragrance section soon and I am really excited about that. 

L: Are your customers mainly from the nabe or do you get westsiders and tourists as well?

R: Our sales skyrocketed after leaving Wedgewood-Houston and coming to the Eastside. Most of our return customers live over here. Eastside Blessed! 

L: I read one story that said TGR is doing for art books what Parnassus has done for novels. Have you had any contact with your counterpart, Ann Patchett?

R: I believe that was by Lance Conzett (@lanceco), a photographer and writer in town, and wow, what a review! We got a like on one of our IG posts early on from Parnassus. Felt like a congratulatory pat on the back from Mom, but she might not actually know we exist. Somebody tell her! We love you, Ann! 

L: You are quickly becoming known for your signature events — book signings, movie screenings, the unveiling of your new UFO mural. What is the makeup of a great Green Ray event?

R: Events at TGR have been fantastic so far. We tend to work with cool, laidback geniuses, so if you have that vibe, HMU. Emily Miller (@emilysadventures) knocked it out of the park with the UFO. 

L: What are your future event goals? Do you have a dream project? 

R: We want to screen more movies for fun, but it’s a little hot out at the moment. Working on a program for when it starts to cool ever so slightly. I’d love to collaborate with some of our pantry peeps and do some food events. More photo book and zine launches, for sure. Toying around with workshop ideas, too. Owning a bookshop IS my dream project, I can’t believe I get to do this. Grateful. 

L: Any upcoming schedules events or projects that you want to share?

R: Not at the moment, but more to come. Stay tuned.

I asked Rebecca to share what flies off the shelf at The Green Ray. Here are her top sellers in five key categories:

Book title: Rick Rubin’s book The Creative Act has been our bestseller and I still haven’t been able to read it because they sell out so fast. Kristine Potter’s new monograph Dark Waters has also been flying off the shelves. She’s brilliant. And yes, we do have some signed copies left, ;’))) 

Candle: Flamingo Estate’s Tomato Candle, smells like your hands after playing in the garden. Delicious and earthy. 

Food: All the chili crisps sell really well. We have a new one headed to us from Brooklyn called ONINO. Definitely a IYKYK product. Someone has already pre-ordered three jars, ha. 

Scent: The amber oil — goes with everything, easy as a base for most spray perfumes, and makes the scent last longer on your skin. 

Magazine: Mother Tongue is a shop fave and I love everything they’re doing. 

THE GREEN RAY
3237B Gallatin Pike

Wednesday - Saturday 11-6
Sunday 11-4

Follow them on Instagram at @thegreenraybooks

In 2001, when I was the fashion editor at the New York Post, I won a four-month working sabbatical that gave me access to any of the international holdings owned by Rupert Murdoch (yes, I worked for the Evil Empire; no, I did not and do not share the company’s politics). I choose to go to Australia and work on the fashion desk of The Australian, their (arguable) equivalent of the New York Times.

Living in Sydney changed my life in many ways. It broadened my perspective on my work; allowed me to build a bank of new professional contacts that I still draw from; and dropped me in the right place at the right time to meet one of my forever-besties, Laura Brown. (I’ll write about her eventually; our story is a good one.)

I also got to know some very cool Aussie brands, like Sample, which produced this magnificent T-shirt featuring souvenir patches from Australian cities and landmarks. As I recall, I saw Brown wearing it and was blown away by the off-the-shoulder cut for sure, but mainly the colorful asymmetrical mix of badges. I had to have one.

Sample isn’t around anymore. So unless you want to get all DIY and make one for yourself or spend time scouring EBay for a copy, you’re out of luck. If you do try to whip up a facsimile, make sure to let me know.

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