Jaimee Leigh sells books at the Barrow Bookstore in Concord, Massachusetts, but during after hours, she makes literature-themed birdhouses designed for actual birds.
Betsy Levinson was the editor of the Concord Journal for many years and was responsible for the majority of the articles, writing with exceptional grace and insight. Nowadays, she contributes as a stringer, and I see her byline most often on infomercials for local real estate, which don’t interest me as much. But in a recent front page article she did herself proud. And when I went to the locale to take pictures, I could see that other readers had been inspired to follow up, too.
This is what she reported for the Journal. “Jaimee Leigh sells books at her sister Aladdine Joroff’s shop Barrow Bookstore in Concord, but a talent for creating one-of-a-kind birdhouses keeps her busy during her hours away from the shop.
“The birdhouses aren’t just functional, either. Her creations are pieces of art, each one designed around a work of literature.
“For instance, the roof of her ‘The Hobbit’-inspired birdhouse has glow-in-the-dark lettering on the roof in the same original font that J.R.R. Tolkein made for his books.
“Then there is the suet bird cage, inspired by Henry David Thoreau’s ‘Civil Disobedience,’ which she noted was written from a Concord jail cell where he was ordered after refusing to pay taxes. Leigh inscribed words from the book inside. …
“It was four years ago that the idea of making a book-themed birdhouse came to Leigh. She was visiting her godmother in Sligo, Ireland, and attended a creative arts competition as a fundraiser for a storied estate there. She made a ‘memory box’ featuring seashells found in the area, photos and poetry. Though it wasn’t a birdhouse, it inspired her to create ‘similar things for the bookstore in Concord.’ …
″Each birdhouse ‘aims to summarize the essence of a book or story,’ Leigh wrote.
They are sealed from the elements on the outside, but she leaves the interior free of chemicals or noxious fumes that might hurt the birds.
“She bores holes of different sizes to accommodate larger or smaller birds. Recently she started fitting inch-wide ’emergency egress steps’ inside the house in case the bird finds the inside too smooth and can’t get a toehold or clawhold to get out. Leigh’s careful about using a perch on the outside because sometimes predator birds can lurk outside. …
“She has shipped birdhouses to South Korea, Canada and Texas. Others are scattered around the floor-to-ceiling stacks of books at the shop. She has donated houses to local charities for fundraising auctions. Each one can take 60 to 80 hours to complete, she said. … For information, email Leigh at barrowbookstore@gmail.com, or visit barrowbookstore.com.”
More at the Concord Journal, here.
I took pictures of birdhouses featuring the Brothers Grimm, Dracula, and Great Expectations. Regarding the latter, note that Miss Havisham’s wedding dress is evoked by lace, and the clock is stopped at the moment her bridegroom ditched her, twenty minutes to nine.
I love this idea! That hobbit one is a favorite! Good old Bilbo.😀
I am remembering that Gandalf put a sign on Bilbo’s door saying that a burglar lived there. The glow-in-the-dark paint is a perfect touch.
Those are so creative!!
She puts a lot of thought into the details. Makes me wonder what details would work with other literary birdhouses. What would “Pride and Prejudice” look like? “War and Peace”? “Alice in Wonderland”?
Such a creative endeavor–how do people come up with such cool ideas? And I like your point about this provoking thought about other classics. Alice in Wonderland would be lots of fun!
How about a book involving birds: “Birdy,” “Jonathan Livingston Seagull,” “The Raven” …
Fascinating idea. Love this!
Got a suggestion? “Le Rouge et Le Noir” birdhouse? “A La Recherche du Temps Perdu” birdhouse?
Love it!