May Books

New Orleans is known very well for tradition. Tradition is part of our every day live in everything we do. With all the changes that are going on in the city, one thing still remains the same, we’re a printed matter kind of town. Just this week, I caught a commercial in between the news and Fallon from The New Orleans Advocate newspaper.


New Orleans is known very well for tradition. Tradition is part of our every day live in everything we do. With all the changes that are going on in the city, one thing still remains the same, we’re a printed matter kind of town. Just this week, I caught a commercial in between the news and Fallon from The New Orleans Advocate newspaper.

It basically consisted of a gentleman explaining his routine in the morning and the most important part of that routine was his newspaper. Even though the commercial may have been slightly hyperbolic, it’s quite true. New Orleanians love the printed matter and appreciate all aspects of it.



Even though pundits have all but deemed print dead, it seems as though in reality this is far from the truth. Last year I featured on of my favorite spots for all things related to printed matter in Lakeside News. Located in Metry, Lakeside News is a place I’ve purchased magazines etc for years. Even before I was able to drive. Since Katrina, there have been subtle outposts around town that have carried and stocked some great magazines, and some that even Lakeside News never stocked. Places like Friend and Box Paper Scissors uptown have really come up lately and begun to offer a wider selection. Both depots stand out in a big way in the range of titles they offer and continue to impress.

A few months ago, Émelie Lamy launched May Books (2402 Royal St New Orleans, La. / PH 504.439.0846) inside of Sterling Provisions in the heart of the Marigny, and has stocked the shop to the gills with the good stuff. Here’s the store’s bio:

May Books is an art book store, located in the Marigny, with a focus on visual and graphic arts, photography, architecture, and creative source material.

As you’ll see in the photos below, her offerings are extensive. Her curated selection is by far the best I’ve seen in recent years. Art, design, and photography books from the majors to the local publishers line the shelves. Kid.in.candy.store. I’m a true fiend when it comes to periodicals and the like, and May Books carries titles, especially magazine titles, that I’ve only seen in major cities. A few examples include the stellar “Inventory Magazine” as well as It’s Nice That’s “Printed Pages”. Those titles surely meant I’d been hounding the shit out of my neighborhood postal worker for weeks. The best part is that it’s located right across the street from The Orange Couch and almost beckons you to get your coffee to go and peruse till you have no more money left in your pockets. Wait, that’s what happens to me. With that said, check it out and get your monthly dose of culture.