Adobe Books is an independent bookstore located in San Francisco's Mission District started by arts-supporter Andrew McKinley in 1989.

In addition, for over 15 years Adobe Books has been a strong supporter of local writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, and the general intellectual community by providing a space for collective conversation and exchange, as well as hosting hundreds of art openings, poetry and short story readings, and musical events, featuring local, upcoming talent. As a supporter of the arts, McKinley and Adobe Books have been instrumental in launching the careers of numerous gifted visual artists, including Mission School artists Chris Johanson and Alicia McCarthy, musicians Devendra Banhart, Vetiver, and Joanna Newsom, and other writers and filmmakers.

Most recently, from late 2004 to early 2005, Adobe Books received national recognition when it hosted, "There Is Nothing Wrong in This Whole Wide World" an art installation conceived and designed by San Francisco-based artist Chris Cobb, which involved reclassifying the entire inventory of approximately 20,000 books in the store by color.

A little-known fact is that Adobe is a supporter of the "colorful" fauna of notoriously zany subterranean San Francisco. It is home to Swann, who bathes pigeons and fixes their broken bones with popsicle sticks and tape. In the broomcloset where he allegedly sleeps, he produces a daily type-written newsbrief, Notes from Messiah. Until the Fall of 2006, Adobe had been the happy hunting grounds of one of the world's most intelligent cats, Master Leo, who somehow kept the bookstore suspended above a demon-infested vortex. Then there was Edmund... oy vay. And the Redman, who looked like Adolph Hitler bathed in red grease paint. (He ain't around no more.)

Currently, a Medieval wizard by the name of Sri Ananda (aka Michael), who purports to have arrived from Middle Earth, appears to be the owner, by implication, of the bookstore. Among the resident philosophers is the talented Michael B. Loggins, author of Fears of Your Life. A radio documentary of his can be found on This American Life.

Adobe Books has also been an important supporter and catalyst for local, grassroots politics, including as a supporter of the campaign of Green Party politician and former member and President of the SF Board of Supervisors Matt Gonzalez, who narrowly lost his bid for Mayor of San Francisco in 2003.

The bookstore is also host to the Adobe Books Backroom Gallery, curated by local gallery owner Eleanor Harwood.

External links

Adobe Books

In-store art installation using the store's books