New bookstore to open in Superior (2024)

SUPERIOR — Following the in 2007, the community went without an independent bookstore for nearly 17 years — a gap Maria Lockwood seeks to fill with the opening of Foxes & Fireflies Booksellers.

The store will offer a mix of new and used books, focusing on local authors and community preferences.

A soft opening will be held Saturday, Aug. 31, and Sunday, Sept. 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The store will be open weekends and occasional evenings.

Located in the former federal post office space at 1401 Tower Ave., Foxes & Fireflies will be part of the Superior Entrepreneurship Center, which has three business incubator spots managed by The Development Association, a nonprofit that also manages the Douglas County Revolving Loan Fund.

Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group

“This is our starter space. We’re hoping that people love it so much that we outgrow it real fast,” Lockwood said. “If I had the resources, I would probably move it right across the street to the old Telegram space, and I would make the back section just a huge community room.”

Foxes & Fireflies is operated with the help of Maria’s husband, Dave Lockwood, and daughters, Eilonwy and Jacklyn Lockwood.

Maria Lockwood, who has been employed as a reporter for the Superior Telegram for 25 years, was recently working on a story about Wisys VentureHome coming to Superior to offer the Level Up program, which helps entrepreneurs take their business or idea to the next level.

“I was like, ‘Oh, ha, ha, I'm just going to put in that Superior needs a bookstore,’ because I wanted to see what the signup process was like for my story,” Lockwood said.

To her surprise, the idea was accepted into the program. Suddenly, she was taking business classes to determine what was needed to get the business concept off the ground.

Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group

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“It was kind of shocking and scary,” Lockwood said. “I've never wanted to be a business owner. This was not my dream, but Superior needs a bookstore. And we've waited 17 years for one.”

However, Lockwood was short on funds. Mike Hill with the Small Business Development Center suggested she apply for a Kiva crowdfunding loan, which began with private fundraising and transitioned to public funding eligibility.

Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group

“I envision a bookstore where people can go on a treasure hunt through the stacks to find their next great book. But it's also a space where people can sit down and connect," Lockwood wrote on the Kiva page. "I want to offer events and activities for everyone in the community, from children's story time to book clubs, book parties and author signings.”

The $8,500 zero-interest loan was supported by 110 lenders and was used to bolster the store’s inventory.

“Now people have said, ‘We want this so bad, we're giving you the money,’ and I just couldn't not do it,” Lockwood said.

Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group

The timing is right for Superior to establish a bookstore, Lockwood said, because of upcoming construction on the Blatnik Bridge in 2026. She anticipates the bridge closure will make the trek to Duluth to Zenith Bookstore, Amazing Alonzo Bookstore, Bookstore at Fitger’s and Barnes & Noble in Miller Hill Mall more difficult for residents to access.

“This gives folks a local option where they don't have to fight traffic to get back and forth,” she said.

Foxes & Fireflies Booksellers encourages a love of reading mixed with a sense of community.

Its shelves are stocked with Midwest bestsellers, many of the New York Times' top 100 books of the century, and some personal selections.

The work of local authors like Mike Savage and Peggy Trojan, of Brule, Jeff Esterholm, of Superior, and Janet Kay Jensen, of Gordon, can also be found on the shelves.

Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group

“Oh, I’m so excited about that, and that’s something you’re not gonna find everywhere,” Lockwood said. “I want to have that really good local section because that's what Superior is. I want to grow this bookstore to be Superior’s bookstore.”

In addition to offering new and used books, it also has merchandise such as stickers, notebooks, reading journals and coffee mugs. Foxes & Fireflies’ books are also available online through Bookshop.org.

Lockwood said she plans to hosts events like book clubs, book parties and story times.

“We'd love people to come and utilize our space for their knitting group, or they could start their own book club. Or if kids want to come and do a chess night here, an art club night,” she said.

The Superior Silent Book Club, which began in July, will continue meeting Thursdays from 5:30-7 p.m. at local parks and businesses.

“So many times, people don't give themselves permission to read,” Lockwood said. “Their life is too busy. They've got kids, work, life and they miss reading. So this is a space, the time, that they’re giving themselves permission.”

Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group

Along with her work at the Telegram and bookstore, Lockwood is involved with the Douglas County Drug Prevention Coalition and participates in various community theaters. A mother of seven, Lockwood grew up on a farm in rural Douglas County and has lived in Superior for three decades.

“Out in the country, we didn't get to come to the library very often. When we did, I was just like a kid in the candy store,” Lockwood said. “They had this wonderful thing called 'Mail a Book,' where you could order books and then wait for them to come in the mail and read them, and then send them back with your list of other books that you want to get. That got us through the summers.”

Lockwood explained the meaning behind the name of her new business this way:

"I wanted a name that reflected the community I grew up in," she said. "Fireflies are just pure magic, when you catch a glimpse of them in the summer. To me, that thrill of catching sight of a firefly is the same feeling I get when I find and read a good book. Foxes are a beautiful part of our Northland home, and they are so often found in classic literature. Foxes are known for their intelligence and curiosity, the same traits that bring people to books."

For her personal reading preference, Lockwood tends to gravitate toward fantasy, romance and the occasional thriller.

“There's something for everybody in a book. And a book allows you to step outside of yourself and where you are. It allows you to dream. It allows you to imagine it,” Lockwood said. “Taking a break from the bombardment of news and cellphones and TikTok and everything, and just putting all that away to focus on something that you're interested in is good for your mental health.”