Photography: Andrew Nelles (B.A. '08)

A bike and a cart full of books have attracted plenty of attention for Gabriel Levinson over the past two years.

Levinson is the brain and the legs behind the Book Bike, a custom-built tricycle loaded with reading material. He rides the contraption to Chicago parks, offering free books to passersby.

“It is such a simple concept,” he says, between sips at a Lincoln Square coffee shop. “It’s just free books from a tricycle.”

Since starting the project in July 2008, Levinson has handed out thousands of gratis tomes, getting press from nearly every media outlet in Chicago as well as a nod from The New Yorker’s website. Prior to the Book Bike, Levinson wrote and edited book reviews for Make: A Chicago Literary Magazine, but he struggled with the publication’s limited audience.

“I wanted to make a more direct connection with the general public,” he says. So he figured, “Well, hell, I’ll bring books to people.”

Taking a close look at his bookshelf, he began sending letters to the publishers of his favorite books, zines, and comics, requesting donations. Although the Book Bike didn’t exist yet, publishing houses fulfilled Levinson’s request. Regular folks donated books as well.

In its short life, the Book Bike has undergone several incarnations, and it is no longer stocked with donated books. Rather, Levinson uses donated funds to purchase books from independent Chicago bookstores.

“This [has come] full circle,” he says.

The Book Bike draws the most interest at Millennium Park, although it’s not unusual for Levinson to park the Book Bike somewhere and not give away a single book.

“The majority of people just walk past it,” he says. “They automatically assume I’m selling something.”

However, the Book Bike’s profile rose dramatically last summer when a Chicago Park District employee took notice, telling Levinson he wasn’t allowed to hand out books in parks. A media frenzy ensued.

The “whole upset with the park district,” as he calls it, was quickly resolved, and Levinson now holds a year-round permit to continue his Book Bike mission.

“I want this to be a very positive project,” he says. “I don’t want this to be about a fight.”

For more information on the Book Bike, go to bookbike.org.

-Heather Lalley
Photo: Andrew Nelles (B.A. '08)