City Cast Denver logo
Advertisement image
March 4, 2026

Can Tattered Cover's Ex-CEO Find Bookstore Redemption? Plus, Denver Pride Is on the Move

City Cast Denver

Can Tattered Cover's Ex-CEO Find Bookstore Redemption? Plus, Denver Pride Is on the Move

00:00:00
View all City Cast Denver episodes

Kwame Spearman wants you to buy books from him again. The 2023 mayoral hopeful and former CEO of The Tattered Cover opened Denver Book Society last month and he’s hoping for a redemption arc. But  social media chatter shows some Denverites feeling skeptical of his second try at book selling, accusing him of being a catalyst for Tattered’s failure at retaining local ownership and calling into question comments he made about ICE and immigration during his run for mayor. Can Spearman and co-owner Rich Garvin create the “third space” they hope to bring with this new venture? Host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love are joined by green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval to discuss the future of the new indie bookstore, plus dig into the news that Denver Pride is shrinking down to a single day celebration and will move from Civic Center Park to 16th Street. 

Bree mentioned Spearman’s comments on immigration, as reported by 9News and Denverite’s conversation with Kim Salvaggio, CEO of The Center. Olivia read from Instagram posts from both Denver Book Society and Denver Book Swap Society.


For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm.

Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm

What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418


Learn more about the sponsors of this March 4th episode:

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Hey Denver

Stay connected to City Cast Denver and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

Latest Episodes

See all
October 13

CoCo Ballot Blame Game, Victor Marx's Scandal Streak, and the Viral Punch at DIA

There’s a measure on this November’s ballot that would create a sales tax to support the proposed Front Range Passenger Rail, but around...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 11

‘Your City Could Be Better’: A St. Paul Cell Phone Ban Teens Might Actually Like — Presented By City Cast Denver

Another Denver school year has begun — how are cell phones being handled? In Minnesota, one high school is demonstrating that a strict no...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 9

A Cheesy New Ethics Complaint at DIA, CoCo Vote Veers Off Course, and Denver's Best PSL

It might not feel like it, but we are, actually, in the fall season! Contributor Michelle Jackson joins producer Olivia Jewell Love to ch...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 8

How This Election Could Change All Other Elections. Plus, ‘Love is Blind’: Where Are They Now?

It's election season, and those blue books are beefy this year! We’re going one by one through some of the thorniest ballot measures all...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 7

What Would You Name Dick’s Sporting Goods Park? Plus, Casa Bonita’s Wishing Well and Local Comedy Drama

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park may not be long for this world – well, the name anyway. For the first time in the Colorado Rapids soccer stadi...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 6

Harsher Fentanyl Penalties, Voter ID Requirements, and More of the Conservative Agenda on Colorado Ballots

The conservative nonprofit Advance Colorado brought a whopping eight initiatives to the ballot this year – that’s more than half of the 1...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 5

The DPS Board’s Half-Decade of Drama, Meet Your Soulmate, and Will a Chatbot Replace Denver's 311 Operators?

Denver Public Schools board member DJ Torres resigned last week, his reasoning being “too much of my time and energy have been consumed b...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 4

‘Your City Could Be Better’: This Basketball Court Is Saving Residents From Floods — Presented By City Cast Denver

When Denver looks for inspiration for the future, does it look to the Netherlands? That’s what designers and officials in New York City d...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 2

Privatizing the Trash, Drones Delivering Pasta, and How to PorchFest

Denverites already pay for trash pick-up, but what if that money went to a private company instead of the city? The city’s waste services...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 1

Will Denver Ever Say Yes to the Duplex? Plus, the Ethics Investigation Costing the City $800,000

A proposal to make sweeping changes to the zoning code was sent back to the drawing board by city council – signalling the end of a push...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art