Midnight Special moves, opens cultural center. (Midnight Special Bookstore)

On August 1, after 10 years in the same location--and with substantial help from an anonymous donor--the Midnight Special Bookstore moved one block north in the Santa Monica Mall to a spot that has enough space to house an 800-square-foot Cultural Center. The store, which is now near a popular frozen yogurt stand and two bustling multiplex movie theaters, is about twice as large as the previous 2600-square-foot site.

Both owner Margie Ghiz and the store's benefactor were committed to providing a space for political discussions, readings, signings and workshops. "We discuss. We debate. We think about ways to make changes," Ghiz says. "All of these things are a complement to books." The …