Her Story
About Alyssa
I serve as the social media manager at Books and Books, a beloved independent bookstore in Miami that has been operating for close to 45 years. I'm also a program coordinator for the Books and Books Literary Foundation, an extension of the store that helps us expand our reach into communities. We operate 3 locations and host over 400 events annually, and we're the primary book sellers for the Miami Book Fair, the nation's largest book fair. In my role, I work to inject literacy and books into communities that do not have direct access to them. I run several pillar programs including Meet an Author Build a Library, where we bring authors to Title I schools and each student leaves with a signed copy of the book to help build at-home libraries. I also coordinate the Great Big Book Fair, partnering with unhoused organizations and literacy programs to give folks and families the autonomy and agency to choose their own books. My passion project is The Reading Party, a monthly event where people can reclaim their time and stop the endless screen scrolling by reading in companionable silence for 30 to 45 minutes, with wine and light bites. I've partnered with groups like Latino Outdoors and trail runners to bring reading to unconventional spaces, because I believe you can read almost anywhere. I also work with the Miami Book Fair and do donation drop-offs at Little Free Libraries. My goal is simple: how do we get books into the hands of everyone? I believe that reading is sexy, it's pervasive, and I think it's cool.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Alyssa
01What do you attribute your success to?
To be honest, I would define myself as tenacious, but I wasn't always that way. I went through a traumatic accident when I was 16 that really, as cliche as it sounds, completely changed the way that I viewed my life, because it was the end of my life as I had known it. But however, it did give me more than it ever took away. I was able to kind of differentiate and discern better what I want my support systems to look like, how I need to show up in the world, and know that life is not fair, however, you could produce something out of that, no matter what. I have to say, I gotta thank my mama, my mama dukes. She's my biggest supporter. She's always telling me to keep going out there and keep shining and to keep doing the thing. Because of her, I'm not afraid to be myself and show up in the way that I feel maybe some women either are intimidated by, or don't feel the security to, but I hope that in the way that I do lead my life, other women could be like, oh, that's dope, because I'm always supporting. I feel like I'm also the biggest cheerleader, so I have to say my mom and my support system.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I live by an Octavia Butler quote: there is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns. I love this quote so much because I think, as women especially, we get bogged down by a box and what society tells us or deems to be successful, or to be accomplished as a woman, whether that's to be a mother, or you could only do one lane. I feel like the way I want to lead my life is, no, there are different roads to success, and it's just dependent on what you define and want success to look like for you. I want to believe that there are possibilities beyond what I just see in the world. I want to be so bold that I can imagine a new life for not only myself, but for other people to be inspired by, or to feel audacious with. And I think that's been my word this year, is how do I be more audacious.
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