Sabot on South Street

We would like to turn our attention to another Philadelphia organization that we feel is deserving of praise and commendation. For more than 30 years, Wooden Shoe Books has been pushing the envelope and encouraging Philadelphia to turn not towards government for solutions to society's woes, but to use personal resources and sacrifice towards the common good, recognizing that what is good for the community is good for the individual.

Located at 5th and South Streets, Wooden Shoe is run entirely by volunteers and is 100% not for profit. Though not a huge space, they make the most of their walls, with floor to ceiling literature organized by general topic. Looking for books on the Cuban experience in America? Wooden Shoe is your place. Need references on ethical treatment of cattle in slaughterhouses? Hit up the Wooden Shoe. Noam Chomsky, the Black Panthers, the IRA, communism and other controversial topics abound in the Shoe. You will find resources that come from many different perspectives and their selection goes way beyond what you will find in Barnes and Nobel or Borders. They also have a computer free for all to use, dubbed "the People's Computer," and probably the only table of children's books that will educate the parents also. Also, they have the city's best selection of photocopied 'zines, from nationally recognized publications like Cometbus to much more local publications from various artists, anarchists and freak power folks.

Wooden Shoe also presents workshops, performances, readings, films etc. at least once a week. This is stuff that flies way under the radar--authors you have not (yet) heard of, films that don't even make art house theaters, but the intimate space provides an opportunity to interact with the artist(s) whose work is on display and talk to other like minded individuals. In addition to art events, there are also workshops for methods of community organizing, maintaining grassroots integrity and other ways to get directly involved in making a difference in your community and connect with those who would also help. Most events are free, but you do need to reserve space by email for more popular gatherings.

The Wooden Shoe moniker is taken from the industrial revolution when French peasants would throw their wooden footwear into machinery in order to get a much needed rest while working insanely long hours. (The French name for wooden clogs, "sabot," is where we get the term sabotage.) The infoshop (as they like to call themselves) seeks to disrupt the gears of capitalism and provide an alternative point of view for anyone who cares to listen. We urge you to at least stop in and see what may catch your fancy. You can either feed your mind or find the opportunity to get your hands dirty and get involved--anything is possible.

Wooden Shoe Books