Colossus Books
115 W San Antonio St — Lockhart
✽ @colossusbooks
Year Opened — 2021
Employees — 2 owner/managers + 3 part time clerks
“Small but mighty ”
What’s the story of your store’s origin?
I partnered with Courtney Terry of Golden Hour in November 2021 to offer a wide range of items in consignment, from men’s clothing to vintage pots and pans. As I was out back painting the single bookshelf we started from, some folks passing through the alley said “How exciting! We haven’t had a bookstore in Lockhart in years.” I decided then and there to focus on the books. Over the past three years the bookshop has been steadily expanding to fill just over half the building now. Last summer, we decided to spin off the bookshop into its own independent business.
Colossus Books is named for Sylvia Plath’s first collection of poetry, a book I missed out on while hunting, which became a white whale in my personal collecting. I have since owned many copies, the best of which being Olwyn Hughes’ personal copy (Sylvia’s sister in law and literary agent after her death). That’s proudly displayed above the entrance to the poetry room.
What makes your store special?
We have the best poetry section in Texas. From Akhmatova to Zukofsky, we work hard to have the poets you can’t easily find elsewhere, and as much of their respective catalogs as possible. A customer once told me, “I’m visiting from Cambridge and even my local doesn’t have this many of Thom Gunn’s books.”
