Susan Avery

In 1971 with her husband, Dean, Susan   moved from New York City to New Paltz, with their young daughters Jenny and Phoebe to open Ariel Booksellers. After a 34 year career as a bookseller she retired in January 2006.  Since then she has led a “Readers Weekend” at Mohonk Mountain House and has been writing reading group guides. In her spare time besides books she loves films and theatre, knitting, traveling and playing with her grandson, Graham.  She also tries to keep in touch with her many friends in independent bookselling (the greatest group of people in the world) and with her friends in publishing (a great way to get free books).  During her bookselling years she served as Vice President of the New England Booksellers Association and on the Advisory Council of the American Booksellers Association.  She participated in many panels and seminars and taught workshops promoting books, literacy, and, bookselling.  In addition she served for many years on the Board of the Elting Library in New Paltz. 

She is an avid book collector and admits to a serious fiction addiction.  She looks back on the fulfilling opportunity to meet and present such extraordinary writers as Saul Bellow, TC Boyle, Leif Enger, Carol Goodman, Mary Gordon, Pete Hamill, Sheri Holman, Thomas Kenneally, William Kennedy, Wally Lamb, Patrick McGrath, Arthur Miller, Toni Morrison, Sara Paretsky, Francine Prose, Richard Russo, Anita Shreve, Jane Smiley, and Susan Vreeland, and many others. She loves living in the Hudson Valley not just for  its natural beauty and fascinating history but  for its vibrant group of gifted writers who made Ariel sparkle, such as Da Chen, Laura Shaine Cunningham, Fergus Bordewich, John Darnton, Gail Godwin, Valerie Martin, Ron Nyswaner and Nina Shengold. She loved her years of recommending books and meeting many enthusiastic readers. She has no “favorite” book or author, but “loves the one I’m with” if it is good.