Novinger isn’t just a tenant of the Masons, he’s a fan—but he’s also quick to note that his version of Circus will be a more curated affair. Others call it tragic. First and foremost, it reveals Karen and Barry Mason’s 30 year history as not only the owners of Circus of Books, an iconic gay bookstore in West Hollywood, but that they were at one point the largest US distributor of … Where the old Circus of Books was a dark and somewhat dingy cruising spot with most of the windows covered up—some by the drop ceilings—the new … As the LA Times notes, prior to owning the bookstore, Barry sold accessories he’d invented for a dialysis machine but had to stop when the price of malpractice insurance skyrocketed. In addition to the Gallery at Circus, which will host quarterly exhibitions and open with a series of paint-smeared Polaroids by Jeremy Kost, Novinger will display art in a black-walled annex gallery (formerly a stock room brimming with unsellable DVDs and cheap cockrings) featuring the penis shaped ceramics pipes and erotic “C(r)OCKERY” of Frederick Vernon. The Masons took control of the recently shuttered Circus of Books, on Santa Monica Boulevard in the heart of West Hollywood, in 1982, when the … Karen and Barry Mason, its owners for more than 30 years, announced in … Despite living a relatively conservative Jewish family life up on Wonderland Avenue, they decided to buy out the owner of their customer, Book Circus, in 1982 and became unlikely porn purveyors and champions of LGBTQ politics over the ensuing three decades. Larry Flynt was seeking distributors for Hustler Magazine. Circus of Books, her parents’ store, was a landmark in the Los Angeles gay community. Mason also focuses on the fact that places such as Circus of Books became safe spaces for gay people, offering a sense of community and even an opportunity for cruising in the pre-Grindr world. The new store pays homage to Circus of Books (as made clear in the title), but as LAmag notes, "Where the old Circus of Books was a dark and somewhat dingy cruising spot with most of the windows covered up—some by the drop ceilings—the new space is voluminous, abounding with glass tables stacked with gay art books, freshly painted carnation-pink walls, and tangerine Kandinsky chairs.”, This Emerging Designer Wants Men to Dress Up Again, Meet the Trainer Behind Our Newest Workout Program, The Wave Duo Is the Perfect On-the-Go Massage Tool, Why Eggs Might Be Your Weight Management MVPs. The documentary will preserve the story of the adult bookstore, which sits on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and La Jolla. Circus of Books (CLOSED) In 1976, Karen and Barry Mason had fallen on hard times and were looking for a way to support their young family when they answered an ad in the Los Angeles Times. The store is the subject of a new Netflix documentary. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. They were looking for jobs. I truly believe there are two customers out there, this is just a higher end experience.”, RELATED: In Circus of Books, a Filmmaker Explores How Gay Porn Became Her Family’s Business. Netflix documentary "Circus of Books" offers an insider's homage to a legendary adult bookstore This close-up documentary is a daughter's look … When that shop ended up having some financial troubles, Barry and Karen ended up buying the store in 1982 and turned it into Circus of Books. 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