James Hyfield wasn’t exactly into reading as a child.
Rather, the co-owner of Red Stick Reads remembers wandering around the old Elliott’s Book Shop not for books, but for games like Dungeon & Dragons.
In middle school, something changed. That’s when he discovered Stephen King.
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“You get into Stephen King when there’s nothing left that you want to read and people aren’t really keeping track of what’s appropriate for you,” he laughs.
Today, at 46 years old, Hyfield, loves to read. And he spends 35 hours a week surrounded by books. Hyfield and his wife, Tere, opened Red Stick Reads in Mid City in 2020, after appearing at local pop-ups for about two years.
Hyfield remembers building bookshelves and even mowing lawns for extra cash, ensuring all the money made by the shop went back into it in the early days.
“We knew that we were going to have to get latched on to by a community,” he says. “There was no way a bookstore was going to survive.”
In three years, it’s safe to say Red Stick Reads has found that. The shop expanded within its South Eugene Street strip in 2022. It hosts events like author visits and storytimes, and has gained loyal customers, from doting dads who come to browse picture books to Baton Rouge Magnet High School teens who walk over for afternoon reading.
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Hyfield says the best part about being an independent bookstore owner is, well, the independence. Getting to wear flip-flops is another perk, he jokes.
Though he can pretty much always be found behind the counter at Red Stick Reads, Hyfield makes time for other passions. He still plays Dungeons & Dragons and is the drummer in three local bands. On some mornings, he continues cutting grass for extra cash and to stay in shape.
And somehow, Hyfield still finds plenty of time to read. redstickreads.com