Literature

PASADENA, Calif. — Usually, Octavia’s Bookshelf in Pasadena, California, is filled with books. The walls are lined with titles on dark brown shelves, and customers can buy candles and other small goods, too. But for the past two weeks, the Black-owned bookshop has been packed wall-to-wall with supplies like bottles of water, hygiene products, clothes and food that are given away for free to locals impacted by the ongoing wildfire in the area.

“The focus has always been serving the community and that means different things at different times. Right now it means something other than books,” Kiki Williams, manager of the bookstore, said.