Steal My Crawl: Marcia LeBeau
Need ideas for your crawl? We asked some folks to share how they participated last year, or what they’d like to do this year. Take inspiration or copy them outright–we won’t tell!
Marcia LeBeau, founder of The Write Space
Marcia LeBeau is a poet and teaching artist who lives in South Orange, NJ. Her debut poetry collection, A Curious Hunger, came out in 2024 from Broadstone Books. She founded The Write Space, a community of creative writers in North Jersey.
Marica’s 2025 Crawl
I didn't know about the crawl and happened to be in the Iris Bookstore in Montclair when people started coming through. The owner explained what it was and I was enchanted by the idea. I thought, I have to do that next year!
Marcia’s 2026 Crawl
Unfortunately, that weekend is packed with kids' sports and a poetry workshop, but I do want to get in a few bookstores. That means I'll have to stay relatively local, like making a stop at The Collective Bookstore in Verona, which I just discovered a few months ago and love the magic of. And of course, Watchung Booksellers. I could stay there for hours—they have the most incredible poetry section. In my dream crawl, and someday in reality, I'll get over to the Book Barn in Denville. It's such a sweet town and I need to see how they've turned a cow barn into a bookstore. Also, the Denville Diner's blueberry pancakes are insane.
Marcia’s Shopping List:
Favorite bookstores outside of NJ: MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH, Main Point Books in Wayne, PA
Favorite bookstore merch: Incredibly illustrated stationary from BookPeople in Austin, TX.
A bookstore I’d like to visit: I want to go to all the Waterstones in the UK, but if I can't, just Hatchards.
I read best… curled up in my bed when it's raining out.
Photo of Marica by Lee Seidenberg.