I recently heard about a new bookstore in Norman that really gives it to Ryan Walters.
Intrigued, I decided to check out the Green Feather Book Company, located at 300 W. Gray St., Suite 108/110 while doing my holiday shopping last week. I can confirm the extreme dislike for Ryan Walters is off the charts and that I, for one, absolutely adore it.
But beyond that, I quickly learned that Green Feather has an even better plume in its cap: it’s the most pro-Indigenous bookstore I’ve encountered, outside, of course, the First Americans Museum gift shop. That makes total sense, as the shop is proudly “women-owned, minority-owned, and Indigenous-owned.”
It checks all the right boxes, and I am here for it.
As soon as you walk in, you’re greeted by a wooden bookcase filled with new works from true Native literati, prominently featuring a Land Back ethos. Finally, I thought, Green Feather has the books I’ve always wanted to read—without the dirty Amazon encroachers.
At first glance, I immediately picked up By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land by Rebecca Nagle and We Survived the End of the World: Lessons from Native America on Apocalypse and Hope by Steven Charleston—two books I’ve been meaning to read for the past year.
Still, I was desperate to find the new biography of Oklahoma musician Jesse Ed Davis. Scanning the shelves in the immediate section, I couldn’t find it. Yet…
As I wandered the store, I was slightly agog at the diverse selection, both Indigenous and otherwise. There were so many titles I’d never even heard of that I started jotting them down in my notepad, determined to read and own them before Heir Walters bans them.
Of course, there’s plenty of other literature too, including a sizeable used book section. While browsing the art books, I spotted a shirt that I had to buy—for both friends and enemies alike. It featured Walters’ smug little face surrounded by the tagline: “Ryan Walters probably hates this!” And, you know, he probably does.
It reminded me of the time Mary Fallin posed for a picture with OU student Rico Smith, who famously wore a shirt reading "Mary Failin'"—only this time, it’s even more illiterate.
I have to say, Green Feather is the best bookstore I’ve found in Oklahoma and one I’m thrilled to support. Using them as a conduit for more Indigenous works by Native authors, writers, and artists will make not just the holiday season, but the entire year, brighter.
Satisfied with my choices, I headed to the counter but decided to ask the clerk about the Jesse Ed Davis biography, just to be sure. Without hesitation, he walked to another part of the store and returned with it.
Well done!
Shopping in hand, I’ve officially found my new bookstore. Not only do they have all the specialized media I could want, but I also love that they’re unafraid to stand up to the Walters misinformation machine. They’re advocating for not only Oklahoma kids but all Oklahomans.
Besides, I’ve got the shirt to prove it.
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Follow Louis Fowler on Instagram at @louisfowler78.
