American Grammar - A Place to Gather

On Front Street, under the thundering L train, if one passes through glass doors leading into American Grammar, there's the opportunity to pause, feel the calm, inhale the aroma of coffee, and take in the thoughtfully displayed artwork and books. And if one chooses, there's also the opportunity for conversation with owner/operator Terrance Wiley, a barista and associate professor of Africana studies at Haverford College, who happens to be very well read and appreciates the spirit of inquiry. 

The shop, located in the Norris Square area of Kensington in Philadelphia, has become a community space for events related to art, music, neurodivergent meetups, and literary discussions. Now more than two years in, the black-owned business perseveres by giving the community a space for creativity and connection—and by being anything but typical.

Shakoor Hakeem in contemplation

In a time when many people are turning away from heavy topics, American Grammar, AG, offers performances and discussions for thinkers. Wiley wants to bring the practice of inquiry into the everyday. To that end, some recent talks have featured authors such as Judith Butler discussing her book: Who's Afraid of Gender? and John Rawls, author of Justice as Fairness: A Restatement.

Shakoor Hakeem, a musical percussionist and a regular, says that Wiley offers the community a place where they can bring their ideas and hold court. "It's like really, where he teaches," Hakeem says.

"I'm trying to create a space where there's like, these different worlds coming together," says Wiley. "I come to this with the spirit of experimentation and improvisation. Very serious theorists have come and shared a stage with a jazz band, and half the people are there to see the jazz band, and then half the people are there to see the theorists. The people there to see the theorists would rather not listen to jazz, and the people there to hear the jazz would rather not listen to someone pontificate. But the combination of those things has helped do some of the work."  

Beyond literary fiction, AG's shelves offer up poetry, plays, biography and memoir. When people come in looking for a recommendation, Wiley likes to steer them beyond the mainstream. For example, in the realm of African American literature, he might suggest authors like Anita Gail Jones or Ernest Gaines rather than Alice Walker or Toni Morrison.

Wiley enjoys nature writing, poetry, and plays. Lorraine Hansberry's Raisin in the Sun is a personal favorite. One day when a young student who often passes by with his grandmother came in, Wiley gave him a copy of the play.  

"These are sort of plays that I encountered at a point in my own educational development," he says. They represented a time for him when he felt like he had begun "to understand something about the larger cultural and civilizational context; interesting plays are a nice entry point."

Observing the way customers interact with the books informs AG's inventory choices. Wiley has noticed that his customers' appetite for feminism and environmental topics is waning, so he isn't building out those categories, but he is unwilling to give up his vision.

Some people don't like the perceived political nature of the literature. And some people don't like the perceived political nature of the programming. These are all things you have to make a decision about and consider. And I've decided to be mostly committed to my own ethos, because I'm basically volunteering my labor, and I wouldn't volunteer my labor for things that I don't personally care about. So, it's been an easy decision or choice, but it's not one that's without consequences...it's been, nonetheless, instructive to experience it and to sort of think about what it means for a business to be politically neutral, especially a bookstore. (Wiley, owner/operator)

Book sales have held, but they've gone from being steady in the beginning to coming in bursts. "Now it's like a miracle, like there's something about how people are living where their habits aren't set by a standard work schedule," Wiley says.

Maintaining the business has been fraught with challenge. In the beginning, social media helped the shop gain visibility. However over the two years of operations, about 10 new cafes have opened in the area, and social media influencers are generally looking for the next big thing.

According to a survey published in 2020 by the Pew Research Center, Philadelphia's small and mid-sized business landscape is less diverse than wealthier cities. The accommodation and food sector making up 16.2 percent, the 2nd largest category after social services.

Wiley believes that this is what is driving area pop-ups, "because malleability and transformation are essential—because people's tastes are changing faster," he says. "We're in an AI revolution. It's [moving] fast. And so, to be a brick and mortar, you have to bring something exceptionally skilled."

In speaking with other area business owners, Wiley say they are experiencing similar challenges. He wishes the city would engage in more strategic development planning, but he copes by doing most of the work himself and restricting afternoon hours. He reopens for the special evening events.

A transformational mindset shapes AG's special programs. Wiley hopes to build something sustainable by planning intense recurring events. Things don't necessarily have to continue forever to be viable, he says. Going forward, he would like to see someone bring in a live podcast.

"People really do want to gather," he says. "When people come and express gratitude for the place just existing, and they bring friends or family just to see it, that feels like a sort of affirmation that is helpful and energizing," he says. "That's a great place to stand."

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