Greenwood business offers quirky portal to a galaxy of creative endeavors

Sandwiched between a falafel joint and a hockey bar, the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. looks like a typical retail business in a typical American neighborhood. But the obvious tongue-in-cheekiness of the name suggests it might be a front for something else.

And it is. Sort of. In the back room at Greenwood Space Travel Supplyaccessible through the atomic teleporter people are writing, reading and engaging in literary activity rife with humor, irony anddare we say it?subversive sarcasm.

This is 826 Seattle, a nonprofit writing center where kids from local schools drop in to receive one-on-one tutoring from adult volunteers. They get to take part in evening and weekend writing workshops, too, all in the name of becoming better communicators.

Combining a writing center with a commercial endeavor wasnt intentionally allegorical, but the underlying linkage isnt lost on Executive Director Teri Hein. Theres obviously the importance of people [in business] being able to express themselves, whether through essays, job applications, compelling memos, writing on websites, says Hein. If their work is written well and precisely, theyre obviously going to be much more effective in their pursuits.

The Seattle 826 center is one of eight 826 chapters across the country, each with its own quirky storefront business (see list at left). The name comes from the 826 Valencia St. address of the original location in San Francisco founded in 2002 by writer and philanthropist Dave Eggers. Creativity and a vigorous appreciation for the absurd are hallmarks of 826 centers. So are awareness and collaboration. Our services are structured around our belief that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, Hein says, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

The whimsical storefronts arent window dressing. Last year, the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. contributed $81,000 to 826 Seattles nonprofit bank account. Merchandise ranges from kitschy (a space gun that shoots cherry-scented smoke rings, $25) to utilitarian (space-themed T-shirts, $10$20) to elegant (moon globes, $60$100).

Still, its what goes on in the back room that generates 826s most cherished product. As Joan Didion says, I write to defend myself, Hein notes. Thats all about leadershipbeing proud of your story and being able to express it.

826 Seattle

Storefront theme: Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co.

Address: 8414 Greenwood Ave. N, Seattle

Website: greenwoodspacetravelsupply.com

Phone: 206.725.2625

Hours: MondayFriday, noon5:45 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.5 p.m.

Other 826 stores

Ann Arbor: Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair

Boston: Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute

Chicago: The Boring Store

Los Angeles: The Time Travel Mart

New York: Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.

San Francisco: Pirate Supply Store

Washington, D.C.: Museum of Unnatural History