“Creativity and Panache” have been used to describe Danny Kane’s operation of the Raven Book Store. In an era of big chain book stores and Amazon online book sales the Raven is thriving as an independent book store. The store was started in 1987 with a focus on mysteries. Kane bought the Raven in 2017 and moved it to a new location at 809 Massachusetts Street. Kane is a University of Kansas graduate who studied and writes poetry.
Recently, he received national attention when he wrote “How to Resist Amazon and Why”. The book describes the devastating impact of Amazon on small independent bookstores and urged people to buy local. Last year in an innovative move, Kane made his seven employees partners in store ownership. That same year the Raven was awarded Book Store of the Year by Publisher’s Weekly. Kane acknowledged that the uniqueness of The Lawrence community contributed to the Raven’s success. Kane promised to return at a later date to talk about his poetry.
