Jameel Mayers sits down to talk about Jay’s Conversations, the indie bookstore and media company he founded in Tempe, Arizona, and why he sees bookstores as community spaces, not just retail shelves. The conversation also gets into book curation, book cover design, indie authors, events, and how bookstores can help fight the attention span problem by giving people a place to slow down and talk.In this episode, Jameel shares how the store was built around conversation, collaboration, and intentional selection rather than just inventory. He also explains why support for indie bookstores means showing up, engaging, and sometimes buying the book that actually fits your vibe. Key topicsJameel introduces Jay’s Conversations as a media company and bookstore built to spark fun, thoughtful, and thought-provoking conversations.The store opened in April in Tempe at the CODESAC, with a strong focus on community, walkability, and public gathering space.Support for an indie bookstore, in Jameel’s view, is more than a like or a quick visit - it includes collaboration, word of mouth, newsletters, social media, and buying books when possible.The store curates books intentionally, aiming for a diverse selection that does not segregate titles into rigid demographic sections.Jameel explains how he and Simone select books using research, reader recommendations, social media, and attention to what the community is asking for.Book covers matter a lot, and Jameel is very direct that low-effort AI-generated covers are a bad idea for indie authors trying to sell books.The bookstore also functions as a community hub, hosting movie nights, game nights, book clubs, lectures, and reading spaces where people can hang out without pressure to buy.Jameel describes the evolution from podcast host to book club organizer to bookstore owner as a natural progression rooted in his love of scholarship, conversation, and public engagement.The discussion touches on the literacy crisis, short-form content, and Jameel’s belief that reading habits and library culture need to start at home.Jameel recommends When the Cranes Fly South as a standout favorite, praising its grief, family, aging, and emotional depth. Timestamps00:00 - Mic check, setup, and getting ready to record 00:42 - Introducing the Gay Ass Book Club and its mission 03:24 - Meet Jameel Mayers and Jay’s Conversations 05:38 - What support really means for an indie bookstore 08:14 - Why the bookstore is designed as a community space 10:37 - Events, club nights, and building a reason to return 12:01 - Why movie nights are part of the bookstore model 14:14 - How the book club approached resisting fascism 14:56 - Curating a bookstore without rigid identity-only sections 16:26 - Finding books through community recommendations and research 19:07 - Why book covers matter and why AI art is a problem 22:49 - Paying artists fairly and avoiding the “free work” mindset 24:12 - The origin story: from podcast to club to bookstore 27:31 - Book signings, local authors, and building real relationships 29:26 - Wanting to write a book and leaning toward dystopia 32:19 - Why reading habits were shaped by family and the public library 35:03 - Are bookstores coming back, and what the future looks like 37:27 - Bookstores as community centers, not just places to buy 39:40 - Personalized recommendations versus big chain browsing 44:35 - Why connection sells more books than algorithmic discovery 46:21 - Traveling by bookstore and reading a space through its vibe 48:50 - Finding events, newsletter-first announcements, and the Sinners Book Fest 51:54 - Jameel’s top recommendation: When the Cranes Fly South 53:13 - Closing thoughts on supporting independent bookstores Notable quotes“Support is collaboration.” “Bookstores can no longer just sell books. They have to be community centers.” “I judge books by their cover.”
