We enjoyed the beauty and depth of Sea Howl, a mighty little bookshop that stocks generous sections of philosophy, poetry, and new releases of all genres. The also carry a smaller number of used, vintage and out-of-print titles, as well as gorgeous paper goods for the discerning writer and pen pal, including greeting cards, stationery, journals, and puzzles/games to keep brains happy. The lovely aesthetic touches in this shop include an antique L.C. Smith & Brothers manual typewriter.
Sea Howl offers in-store and online shopping, with curbside pickup and shipping options. You can view their full inventory and place an order in their online shop.
Owners Jonathan and Kazmira Nedeau live in Orleans and have filled their home with books old and new for many years. Jonathan grew up on the mouth of Barnstable Harbor and surfed the Outer Cape throughout high school. He went away to university, pursued graduate degrees in the humanities and political philosophy, and frittered for some time after, only to return to the Cape with Kazmira in 2015. In addition to philosophy, his interests include poetry, fly-fishing, and gardening both at home and at Sea Call Farm in Orleans.
Kazmira was born in Brooklyn and was fortunate to grow up in a neighborhood with a tradition of block parties, stoop sales, and sidewalk chit chats. She studied anthropology as an undergraduate and loved conducting ethnographic interviews and working the checkout desk at the library. When she and Jonathan moved to Orleans after years of living and working in cities (Boston, Cambridge and Providence), she felt like she found her neighborhood again. She loves reading about world history, social justice, and food, and discovering new books for her and Jonathan’s son and daughter.
The name “sea howl” comes from a T.S. Eliot poem Four Quartets. It reminded Jonathan and Kazmira of the roaring sound of the ocean that can be heard on a windy day, and especially in Orleans – the first town as you move out on the peninsula of Cape Cod to face the wild Atlantic Ocean.
When we visited, Sea Howl Bookshop was celebrating Asian writers and culture with a display of work by Joan He, Ed Park, Kawai Strong Washburn, Jonathan Clements, Charles Yu, Yasunari Kawabata, Chang-Rae Lee, Rachel Khong, Claire Messud, and others.