
A bay area success story enters a new chapter after 23 years
By Marcus Chen
Advertisement · Why this ad?

Mitzi Jo Gordon (L) and Micheal Hooker at Palimpsest book studio in Ybor City, Florida. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay It’s no secret that bookstores are having a moment as they pop up at rates higher than they’ve been in a century, and Tampa Bay’s been in on the movement. Just last week, South Tampa’s House of Analog’s welcomed Itimpi Books. St. Pete’s seen new shops like Pages Perks and Reverie Room are now open. And in Ybor City, Bookends has finally cut the ribbon on its bungalow. Also in Tampa’s most famous historic district, Palimpsest (stylize it “Pal•imp•sest”) is so much more than a store. Opening this month, the studio offers books ($7-$25), zines, and select consignment items. Founders Micheal Hooker and Mitzi Jo Gordon are no strangers to lit-minded Tampeños (having run the Lector book and wine bar and Bluebird Books Bus, respectively) and launched Palimpsest to honor their combined passion for nontraditional spaces (the word itself reference