H.P.'s Nighthawk: an eclectic aerie of ideas & arts

Opening its doors in early 2010, Nighthawk Books is the lastest addition to the borough's main street.

Steven Hart, a veteran newsman, freelance writer, and published author, runs Nighthawk at 212 Raritan Avenue, with the help of his wife Mary Walworth. Facing an uncertain future in print journalism, a field beset with cutbacks and layoffs, Hart struck off on his own in 2009.

He says that ever since Pyramid Books closed several years ago, the borough has sorely missed a general purpose fiction and non-fiction used bookstore and that was a niche he wanted to fill.

Nighthawk celebrated its Grand Opening late in the winter, complete with a mayoral ribbon cutting and performances by authors and musicians. The lineup included Mary McAvoy, a New England author begining her literary career with her first novel Love's Compass; local author Jeffrey Cohen; and poet Sam Friedman.

The ribbon cutting also included musical performances by a jazz trio and members of Zorzal, a Spanish and Ladino folk ensemble. Nighthawk Books will continue to host regular musical and cultural performances, in an attempt to support the local arts and literature community and "spark a little life" on an avenue largely closed and shuttered after 9 pm.

Hart cites Alex Dawson, owner of the Raconteur in Metuchen, as a role model for what he wants Nighthawk to do. He praised Dawson for running "a bookstore that goes out of its way to be the center of a community," with a host of readings and book-related events. Nighthawk is off to a good start. They have already hosted several readings and Open Mic nights, as well as regular film screenings. During the blizzards this winter, snow-bound borough residents trudged in to take advantage of the emergency movie marathon for those with cabin fever.

The bookstore has almost a 'boutique' feel to it, with eclectic genres on the shelves and on the stereo, snacks, coffee, teas and lounge. Hart is also bringing his own quirky take to the DVD rental market mostly abandoned by the closing of Raritan Video. With a good starter stock of anime and more offbeat categories like 'Richard Nixon,' 'Inspired by Hanith Kareshi,' 'Jewish American Life,' and so on, Hart is making the effort to bring quality but overlooked films to the borough.

He is proud to take a more interactive approach to the business than the "throw books on shelves and hide behind register" method taken by larger booksellers. Highland Park is a book-friendly town -- very literate, almost scholarly -- and Hart says Nighthawk was an instant hit with local grad students because of wi-fi, late hours and coffee. With his experience and knowledge of literature, Hart is confident that he can answer people's questions and find something to suit their literary tastes better than the larger book sellers on Route 1.

Nighthawk Books satys open 'til midnight, Tuesday through Saturday. Visit them on the web at www.nighthawk-books.com and sign up for the Twitter stream there. Check the Mirror calendar for upcoming readings, performances, and special events.