A Different Light (bookstore)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (Bookstores) |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | George Leigh, Norman Laurila |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Norman Laurila, George Leigh, Richard Labonté, Bill Barker, Stanley Newman |
| Products | LGBT literature, books |
Number of employees | 80+ |
A Different Light was a network of four LGBT-focused bookstores across the United States, active between 1979 and 2011.
History
In 1976, George Leigh, a lawyer based in Toronto, encountered Norman Laurila, who worked at Toronto's Glad Day Bookshop. Recognizing Laurila’s knowledge of LGBT literature and retail, Leigh suggested establishing a specialized bookstore within the U.S. market. After considering several cities—Atlanta, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles—Laurila identified Los Angeles as the most promising location due to its vibrant and supportive gay and lesbian community. Leigh and Laurila entered into a 50/50 partnership, with Leigh providing 75% of the initial capital while Laurila relocated to Los Angeles to oversee daily operations.
Laurila and his partner Richard Labonté, then a journalist for the Ottawa Citizen, moved to Los Angeles to launch the store. Meanwhile, Leigh stayed in Ontario, practicing corporate law for Texaco’s Canadian division. The bookstore’s name was inspired by Elizabeth Lynn’s novel A Different Light, a title proposed by Labonté. Gordon Montador, a close friend of Laurila’s, played an instrumental role in the store’s early development by assisting with its establishment.
The inaugural A Different Light bookstore opened its doors in October 1979 at 4014 Santa Monica Blvd., Silver Lake, Los Angeles. The brand expanded with new locations in New York City's Greenwich Village (1983) and San Francisco's Castro district (1985). In May 1990, a second Los Angeles branch was introduced in West Hollywood, coinciding with the New York store’s relocation from Hudson Street to Chelsea. The original Silver Lake venue closed in 1992 after being replaced by the West Hollywood site.
For more than twenty years, A Different Light stood as a prominent figure within the LGBT book retail sector, hosting upwards of 300 author events annually across its outlets and supporting the development of numerous LGBT writers. At its height, the chain employed over 80 staff members and served as a vital gathering place for the community.
Apex
During its prime, A Different Light was a leading force in the U.S. LGBT book market and functioned as a cultural and social meeting point. The stores regularly featured author readings, art exhibitions, writing workshops, and panel discussions that reinforced its influence within the community. In the mid-1970s, Avon was recognized as the largest publisher of gay and lesbian literature, including Patricia Nell Warren’s bestseller The Front Runner, which constituted a significant portion of A Different Light’s early stock.
The Silverlake location was strategically positioned near Sunset Junction at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. Founders Laurila and Leigh selected Silverlake rather than West Hollywood—which at that time had not yet incorporated as a city—to tap into an emerging gay demographic and anticipate neighborhood revitalization akin to San Francisco’s Castro district.
Housed in a former trolley repair facility featuring distinctive architectural elements and lofty ceilings, the bookstore later expanded by more than doubling its original floor area. Custom fixtures were crafted by a master carpenter affiliated with Laurila. The store also partnered with local artists to regularly rotate displayed artworks, enriching both customer experience and community involvement.
A Different Light attracted renowned gay and lesbian authors for book signings such as Quentin Crisp, Armistead Maupin, Christopher Isherwood, Edmund White, and William Burroughs. The first signing event showcased John Rechy, author of City of Night, who also participated in the final signing before the store closed.
On February 18, 1984, employee Ann Bradley initiated “The Lesbian Writers Series,” followed by playwright James Carroll Pickett’s “The Gay Writers Series” from 1987 until 1990. In New York City, employee Emanuel Xavier introduced spoken word performances through his "Realness & Rhythms" readings, broadening the brand’s cultural influence.
Decline and Closure
Leigh, the founder of the company, passed away unexpectedly in 1998 in West Hollywood. Established in 1979, ADL’s primary goal was to distribute LGBT literature extensively, playing a crucial role in broadening market access. By the mid-1990s, prominent bookstores such as Barnes & Noble had dedicated LGBT sections and offered substantial discounts, soon followed by Amazon’s aggressive pricing strategies. ADL’s three retail locations, situated in cities with high rental costs, found it difficult to compete with these lower prices. In 2000, Laurila sold the stores to Bill Barker and Stanley Newman, who closed the New York City store in 2001 due to Manhattan’s steep rent but kept the two California outlets operational.
Confronted with growing competition from online sellers and escalating financial pressures, Barker and Newman closed the West Hollywood location in 2009 and later shut down the Castro store in 2011. These closures mirrored a nationwide pattern of LGBT bookstore shutdowns, including significant losses such as New York’s Oscar Wilde Bookshop and Washington, D.C.’s Lambda Rising.
After ADL’s stores ceased operations, Laurila moved into a position as book manager at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. Labonté continued his work editing LGBT literary collections for Cleis Press and Arsenal Pulp Press until his passing in 2022.