Creating a Salon: The Magic of Conversations That Matter

"Linda-Marie Barrett offers a generous, intelligent, and deeply loving guide to building spaces where real people can gather for real conversation about real topics. Drawing upon her experience as a bookseller and her own story of how bringing women together into literary salons elevated her own life from anxiety and disconnection to vibrancy and joy, Barrett has written more than a simple how-to book here; she has delivered a call to reclaim the joy of presence, dialogue, and the transformative power of story." --Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

A practical and personal exploration of the transformative power of salons-in many cases, a next-level evolution of a book club--with hosting advice tailored for different goals, budgets, and personalities.

Salons are enjoying a renaissance worldwide. More structured than a hangout or casual dinner party, and oftentimes an evolution of a successful book club, salons can spark lively discussions and help develop a joyful, intentional community. Blending focused and informed advice with heartfelt reflection, book industry professional Linda-Marie Barrett shares her experience hosting salons at her home--the lessons learned as well as the life-changing connections she discovered--and guides readers through the whats, whys, and hows of creating their own salons.
Learn how to cultivate deep conversations and authentic connection using Barrett's clear guidelines and real-life examples, including helpful suggestions for handling even challenging scenarios. Readers will also hear directly from members of Linda-Marie's Black Swan Salon, who share their perspectives along with advice for how to build a better salon. As a bonus, this book includes 14 salon starter kits, each on a different theme, to help readers host with confidence.

Linda-Marie Barrett is a writer, editor, and book industry professional who now serves as executive director of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA). She edited and contributed to the regional bestselling serial novel Naked Came the Leaf Peeper, called "a blur, a buzz, a local-grown tall tale, and an absolute delight" by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. She has been hosting her Black Swan Salon since 2017. She lives with her husband in Asheville, North Carolina.