Mired in debt and uncertain about the future of his current location, Doug Dutton said Monday that he will close his iconic Brentwood bookstore, where thousands of authors have celebrated their works in the central courtyard and readers such as Dustin Hoffman and Meg Ryan have sought counsel on stocking their bookshelves.
Dutton's, which plans to close April 30, is one of many independent bookstores that have disappeared in the last couple of decades. Rising rents, the growth of big-box chains and the triumph of Amazon.com as a major force have challenged the indies.
But Dutton's has a national reputation, a following among authors who appeared at its many readings and, for its two decades of history, a special place in literary Los Angeles.
Many considered it the most literary and high-minded of L.A.'s bookstores, as well as one that felt increasingly, if charmingly, anachronistic.
Dutton, 59, announced the closing on the store's website and e-mailed the statement to influential newsletters; he then printed out the news for unsuspecting customers at the San Vicente Boulevard store.
Throughout the day, Ed Conklin, a partner in the business, was fielding a stream of condolence e-mails sent by publishers and authors from across the country. In an interview, author John Rechy, who recently appeared at Dutton's for his memoir, "About My Life and the Kept Woman," spoke of the store's importance.
"Every non-million-selling writer has had his coming out there," he said. "They had every single book that you would want."
Author Carolyn See described the store's decline and looming closing as "just sickening."
She said she prized the spot as a neighborhood meeting place, not just for literati but also for local dog walkers. "If you weren't the drinking kind," See said, "you could go there the way you'd go to a bar."
More than one customer wept after hearing the news. A distraught Jennifer Watling, who described herself as a "passionate writer," dabbed at her eyes in the store's sun-splashed courtyard as she absorbed the news.
"This is a tragedy. It solidifies my moving back East," said Watling, 44, who grew up in Greenwich, Conn., and moved to Los Angeles in 1997.
Dutton said the decision was "devastating after 23 years of goodwill and generally fond memories." He said he hoped "to keep the business as regular as possible through the end of March," to satisfy orders for book groups and author signings. The store would then begin liquidating or returning its inventory.
