Mural, The Bookstore Mural, Corner of E Liberty St & S State St, North Wall of the Potbelly Sandwich Shop, August 31, 2020

Ann Arbor Public Art website

'Background: Artist Richard Molk never actually named his mural. However, Ann Arbor residents commonly refer to it as “The Bookstore Mural.” It gets this name from David’s Books, which occupied the building during the time it was created. The mural features headshots of, from left, Woody Allen, Edgar Allen Poe, Herman Hesse, Franz Kafka, and Anais Nin. In 2010, twenty-six years after it’s creation, Molk was asked to return to retouch the mural due to natural wear.

Why You’ll Love It: “The Bookstore Mural” is arguably one of Ann Arbor’s most well known pieces of public art. The five-featured authors are some of the greats from literature and film and often unidentifiable to many. Whether you immediately recognize Woody Allen as the famous American screenwriter or Edgar Allen Poe as the author of “The Raven,” it’s unlikely you’ll know the other three, all hailing from countries across the Atlantic. And determining who these authors are is no easy feat, as the artist excluded their names from the mural. But despite the lack of identification, it’s easy to appreciate the charm of the five busts in a bed of flowers. So rather than briskly walking down Liberty on your way to the various State Street venues, take a step back and admire Wolk’s work – the mural that has become an icon of Ann Arbor.'