In Conversation With Rebecca Moon

Nashville’s favorite niche bookstore isn’t exactly just a bookstore. What began as founder Rebecca Moon’s personal collection of, in her words, “rare and weird art books,” has grown into a thoughtfully curated shop offering fragrances, home goods, apothecary items — and yes, still, a collection of rare and weird art books.

A visit to The Green Ray always feels like you were personally invited to come hang rather than shop. According to Rebecca, the goal was always for the shop to feel like stepping into an interesting person’s space. And even though she wasn’t behind the counter during our visit, that intention was felt in every moment.

EDMOND PHILLIPS

REBECCA MOON

Can you share the story behind how the green ray came to be? What inspired its creation?

TRUE STORY: A friend of mine had a premonition of me running a bookshop and within a few months the opportunity came up for me to do just that on a small/experimental scale and I said YES. Saying yes was the hardest part, but when the universe calls, you pick up the phone.

So, what once felt like a distant premonition — running a bookshop — is now your reality, and so much more. While the shelves are lined with books, Green Ray offers far more than just reading material. To call it simply a bookstore feels like an understatement; it's more layered & defies easy definition. What drew you to combine books with apothecary, apparel, and lifestyle goods?

What started with my personal collection of rare and weird art books, turned into more things I couldn’t live without and wanted to share. Fragrance is something I’ve always been into and have had a hard time sourcing here in town, so that was an easy add.  I love a good basic, so shirts and comfy everyday wear got added last year. The Plasticana clogs I wanted for me, so I just went ahead and ordered them in all sizes for the shop. It’s been fun to do whatever we want and see how it works for the shop. It doesn’t always land, but hey, that’s what a SALE is for, right? 

Indeed. You have a sharp eye for everyday items — things that might otherwise go unnoticed, but in your store, feel so special. This is what has lead Green Ray to be known for its thoughtful, meticulous curation. How do you decide what earns a place on your shelves?

Thank you for saying so. I try to only carry things that I would be excited to buy for myself or someone I like. There’s a lot of options out there, so between my team and I, we try every single thing that gets brought into the shop beforehand and if it’s not a resounding yes, it doesn’t hit the floor. 

How do you balance the literary with the lifestyle? Is there a guiding philosophy behind what makes the cut?

I don’t know that I’ve figured that part out quite yet, ha. It’s still evolving and thank god for that. My goal with TGR was to feel like you’re at an interesting person’s house, drink in hand, touching each special thing and saying, “I love this” and them responding, “it's yours!” Ideal. 

I love that. Visiting the store over the years, I can definitely say that it does feel like that when I come in. In that being your goal, how do you hope customers interact with your space — is it a place to browse, linger, discover, or all of the above?

All of the above! I don’t want it to ever feel pushy or salesperson-y and I think we’ve done a good job with that. We have regulars who have $5 to their name that come in before a date and say, “I just need to smell good for this” and I’m like BY ALL MEANS, SPRAY AWAY. I used to do the same thing in my early 20s, shout-out to Wilder in Germantown circa 2014 for me smelling good for free. 

Shoutout to Wilder! Just as they practiced — and as you at the Green Ray continue to — we at ROOTED deeply resonate with your attention to detail and intentional sourcing. What values guide your selection process?

We love supporting small independent makers as we know firsthand how hard it is to survive. Supporting work made right here in Nashville is important to us, too, especially within marginalized communities. It’s hell out here for so many of us. It’s nice to be the one to say, you matter, your work matters and we see you.

Absolutely. So then, what role does community play in your business? How do you see yourself within the fabric of Nashville?

Community is everything to TGR. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for our early supporters that went hard for us in the beginning with workshops, ideas, book launches, artwork, etc. There’s a lot of Nashville’s creative scene to experience at the shop. We have a microgallery wall up of artist Harry Kagan’s ceramic tiles, a glorious tapestry from Sai Clayton that she specially made to fit above our shelving, insanely cool ceramic mugs with faces on them from Andie Peach, zines from all over town. Behind the desk, you’ll find Arielle Gray, incredible photographer & writer or Ellie Caudill, portraiture & mural goddess extraordinaire. It’s a town bursting with creative baby geniuses and it’s my honor to bring some of them to the attention of  whoever walks through our doors. As for community events, we have a few coming up. Book release party for Jordan Ward on Sept 26th and an outdoor movie night/zine launch announcing very soon. Follow us at @thegreenraybooks to stay in the loop. 

In a world of big-box stores and online shopping, what makes a niche bookstore like yours not just relevant, but vital?

Dang, you tell me! I know personally, I seek out the tiny, weird & wonderful shops and Nashville is full of them. Why go to the world wide web (BORING! STRESSFUL! CAN’T TRY ON!) when you could grab a coffee from a real person, browse for a new book you haven’t heard of yet and possibly even... meet the love of your life? Easy. 

How do you see your store evolving — or staying true — in the next few years?

Let me figure out a way to keep these doors open first and I’ll report back. 

Current book on your nightstand?

We just got the new Fall Issue of The Paris Review and it’s absolutely STACKED. I’m also finishing up On the Calculation of Volume, which is the first of a seven novel series by Danish author Solvej Balle. Basically Groundhog Day, the film, from a Danish married middle-aged woman’s pov. Pretty good. Eager to see what happens next.

Go-to scent in the shop right now? 

Ah, there are so many. I’ve been loving The Poet by shop favorite, Kismet. Have been told it should actually be called a potion from customers wearing it out and about being hounded by friends, lovers and ex-lovers alike.