Welcome to Season 2 of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast! In this episode bookstore owner Maddie Ciliotta-Young talks with her mom and former owner Margot Sage-EL about the past, present, and future of Watchung Booksellers.
Maddie Ciliotta-Young is the owner and operator of Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. Maddie grew up in Montclair and at the bookstore with her mom, Margot. After college she was a teacher and principal for over a decade at a New York City public high school. As a school administrator, Maddie had a focus on equity for underserved schools and a passion for teaching literacy. She joined the Watchung Booksellers team in 2022 and when she’s not in the store she can be found enjoying Montclair’s restaurants with her husband or on the soccer field cheering on her kids. And, pretty soon, taking care of a sweet new baby.
Margot Schwaab Sage-EL, born and raised outside of Boston MA, earned her BA from Barnard College, and arrived in Montclair (after the usual UWS/Brooklyn route) in 1990. Embraced by a community of spirited souls passionate about art, politics, social justice and literacy, Margot created Great Owl Books, a mail order catalog of multicultural children’s books and folded that into Watchung Booksellers in 1996. She has spent the three decades years growing this community bookstore with the help of amazing booksellers, devoted readers, and a supportive family. Margot and her husband Barry raised their three children, Trevor, Madeleine and Olivia, through the Montclair public school system and now with the bookstore under Maddie’s leadership, Margot is semi-retired, totes her grandchildren around town, and is again pursuing sculpture.
Resources:
Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.
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The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ.
The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell.
Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica.
Art & design and social media by Evelyn Moulton. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff.
Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room!
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Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com
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