'Vanishing Ink Books' Will Soon Appear In Hastings-On-Hudson

HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, NY — Independent bookstores may be an endangered species, but the newest one in Westchester is being welcomed by book lovers and neighbors.

An "independent music, arts, and culture-focused bookstore" has arrived in Hastings-on-Hudson, and you're invited to the grand opening this Saturday.

Allyson McCabes's Vanishing Ink Books, located at 2 Spring Street (enter on Southside Ave.), will be hosting its grand opening this Saturday, at 11 a.m. There will be a ribbon-cutting with Mayor Armacost, prizes, and giveaways all day long.

McCabe, an author and journalist whose work has been heard on NPR, or read in the New York Times and BBC Culture, says the new business is "different by design."

"Imagine a bookstore for adults and kids where every title has been thoughtfully hand-selected along with creative tools and toys you can't find in a big box," McCabe explains about the new venture. "Vanishing Ink is a love letter to the spirit of community, a mixtape inspiring dreamers and championing the imagination."

McCabe said the inspiration that led to the new business came from a moment that was both tragic and hopeful.

"When University of Texas Press published my book Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters in May 2023, I had the chance to meet with readers across the country to talk about the things that mattered most to Sinéad O'Connor: speaking out against child abuse, racism, sexism and more," McCabe said. "When she died that July, it was devastating, but it ignited my desire to create a place where we can keep having conversations that can make the world a better and more just place. Then I realized that place is a bookstore- not just a store to buy books, but a home for the ideas in books, a place where culture and community can come together around ideas and solutions."

That home has a name that speaks to McCabe's vision for the shop, and the need for just such a place.

"I'm calling it 'Vanishing Ink' because I see this bookstore as the antidote to banned books and censored curricula, the disappearance of local newspapers, and the diminishment of public and independent media," McCabe said. "I envision Vanishing Ink as a bookstore built for you and with you in mind, a place where the ink never vanishes."

Vanishing Ink Books is located at 2 Spring Street (enter on Southside Ave.), in Hastings-on-Hudson. Hours will be Tuesday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The store is closed on Mondays. Find out more information on the Vanishing Ink website, and on Allyson McCabe's website.