Almost exactly one year ago, a small group of literary leaders staged the fancy-sounding Deep South Convening on the Future Success of American Writers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Officially, the program was designed to determine what writers in the region “need to thrive in the decades to come.”
Where scholars saw a chance to conduct research, this business owner saw a networking opportunity. After the event, I dutifully emailed each of my fellow attendees to propose we stay in touch. Most of the 100-plus people ignored me, but Lib Ramos of Good Printed Things wrote back to suggest we think about “work[ing] together on something.”
That note led to coffee at The Commons in Greenville, South Carolina—which led to the Interstate 40 map we rolled out this week.
Does that mean we’re thriving? I like to think so! But when it comes to Good Printed Things, that’s about the only question I can answer, so I asked Lib to share more about her company with TFS readers.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
HANNA RASKIN: What is Good Printed Things?
LIB RAMOS: Good Printed Things is a small, design-forward press. We publish in the realms of food, poetry, and nature. We’ve been around since 2018.
RASKIN: How did you get into this?
RAMOS: I had a degree in graphic design, and I’ve always been a book lover. My first real job as a teenager was at a library. I loved that job, primarily because I didn’t have to talk to people. Then, in 2018, I worked with a friend on a small recipe zine, and it was so much fun. It became the catalyst for all I’ve done since with Good Printed Things.
RASKIN: Right. So, talk to me about the map subcategory specifically.
RAMOS: In addition to books, I’m a big proponent of supporting local businesses and local artists. One of the other hats I wear is I am the creative director for Indie Craft Parade, an annual festival of handmade art here in Greenville. We’ve done that since 2010.
The Paper Routes maps were sort of an outgrowth of all those things. I had the idea in 2019, and we started to get the ball rolling, but our first maps were in the food arena. When the pandemic hit, we paused everything.
We picked the project back up in 2021. It was more obvious than ever that these small food businesses needed help; people needed to be reminded of them. So, we created maps themed around coffee and international food and used art to draw attention to those small businesses.
RASKIN: Can you give me an example of someone using one of your maps and connecting to a small business?
RAMOS: Yeah, I love hearing how people use these maps. My assumption is that you’re going to stick them in your glove compartment, like an old-school map. But some people use them in different ways. Our local stationery shop told me that someone came in and got a full set of maps as an anniversary present for the anniversary that’s paper. It was like a year of date nights because they were going to take their time and go to every spot on the map.
RASKIN: That’s super romantic.
RAMOS: It is. It’s wonderful. I love the idea of people marking them up and checking things off.
RASKIN: You’re alluding to something important here, which is that people using your previous maps could get everywhere in a short period of time, right? We’re covering a lot more geography with the new map.
RAMOS: Absolutely. And I think it’s really fun to spread the love a little bit. The maps that I started with were very Greenville-centric, but let’s say it’s a map of coffee shops. You’re not going to go to multiple coffee shops in one day, probably. You’ve got to kind of pace yourself.
This I- 40 map really leans into that. You are likely not going to drive down the highway and hit every single exit, but when you need to stop for food, you’ll know what’s closest. We go to the beach every single year and we have this same dilemma every time: We need food. We really don’t want fast food. How are we going to find it? And I think this meets a real need and I’m really excited about it.
RASKIN: Same. What’s your personal relationship with paper maps? I’m curious how you’ve used them over the years.
RAMOS: One of my first memories of maps was when we would plan a family vacation, my parents would send off for a map for each state. So, there’s something nostalgic about maps for me.
Yes, you can find all these spots online, but there’s something about putting them on paper that makes it giftable; to say, “Hey, we’re going to go do all this together.” That’s a really wonderful way to give someone an experience with you.
RASKIN: As the producer and publisher of these maps, what else do you want people to keep in mind when they’re handed one or pick one up?
RAMOS: Oh, let’s see. That’s a great question. I think there’s so much value in small businesses and local restaurants and it’s easy to forget about that until you’re faced with the idea of them not being there.
I hope this is a reminder of the incredible spots that make each of our little cities and exits along the road unique and interesting. I don’t think any of us really want to have only chain restaurants. So, the only way to keep that from happening is to keep showing up for these small businesses.
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