In the most recent episode of The Miami Book Hub, I had the distinct honor of sitting down with two of our community’s literary and entrepreneurial giants—Mitch Kaplan of Books & Books and Jonathan Plutzik of The Betsy Hotel—who have helped show that Miami is much more layered, thoughtful, and culturally rich than outsiders often give it credit for. Together, they offered something more than a conversation about books and hotels. They offered a reminder that Miami’s cultural life is not accidental. It has been built, nurtured, and defended by people who believe that ideas, stories, and gathering places matter.
Mitch, whom I described on the show as “the godfather of Miami’s literary ecosystem,” reflected on the deeper purpose behind independent bookstores. For him, a bookstore was never meant to be merely a retail operation. It was, as he put it, “a third place” where people gather, hear writers, exchange ideas, and feel part of a larger community.
That idea helps explain why Books & Books has meant so much to Miami for more than four decades. Mitch spoke movingly about returning to Miami in a difficult era and wanting to help build something meaningful here. “We were always underestimated,” he said. In response, he built a space that quietly but persistently challenged the old caricature that “nothing serious happened” in Miami.
Jonathan has done something strikingly similar at The Betsy. His hotel, located on Ocean Drive, has become one of the city’s most distinctive literary and cultural spaces; not through branding alone, but through genuine conviction and intentionality. “People want to be stimulated,” he said, describing the experiential, intellectually rich environment he believes today’s guests increasingly seek. At The Betsy, that means books in every room, a true library, live music, writing residencies, poetry programming, and space for thoughtful gathering. As with Books & Books, walking into this magical hotel is like walking into a warm hug.
What emerged most clearly in our conversation was the kinship between their institutions. A great bookstore and an incredible literary hotel, it turns out, are both in the hospitality business. Both create places where people feel welcomed, curious and enriched by the company of others.
Mitch said that when people walk into Books & Books, he likes to think “they almost feel a sense of relief.” Jonathan expressed a similar idea in a different way, describing the importance of giving people “places to convene” in a world that often feels fragmented and distracted.
That shared philosophy is now taking visible form in a growing, exciting collaboration between Books & Books and The Betsy on Miami Beach. Their joint author series is already drawing strong interest, which should surprise no one. Miami Beach has long had an appetite for culture; what it has sometimes lacked—due in some part to the high cost of doing business there—is the right kind of spaces for it to survive and flourish.
The conversation also turned, importantly, to mission. Both Mitch and Jonathan spoke from the heart about developing future readers and writers. Mitch described Books & Books’ efforts to connect young people with books, saying, “I don’t want any of these kids getting out of school without saying that they haven’t been given a book.” It was one of the most touching moments of the episode: a simple statement that captures the moral case for literary culture better than any policy paper ever could.
Jonathan made a related point about the broader ecosystem that makes arts and culture possible. “Support of the arts is not supporting a group of dilettantes,” he said. “Supporting the arts is supporting society.” That line deserves to be repeated, especially at a time when cultural funding so often feels vulnerable or expendable.
If there was a through-line to the entire conversation, it was this: books are not a luxury add-on to civic life. They are part of its foundation. Reading helps us imagine other lives, understand other stories, and become more thoughtful participants in our own communities.
Miami is incredibly fortunate to have institutions like Books & Books and The Betsy. More importantly, it is blessed to have people like Mitch and Jonathan, who continue to remind us that culture belongs here, and that literature stands at the very foundation of a vibrant civic life.
I encourage you to learn more about Mitch Kaplan, Jonathan Plutzik, their incredible institutions and their exciting partnership at BooksAndBooks,com and TheBetsyHotel.com, respectively.
To view this full interview and other episodes of The Miami Book Hub visit my YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@J.AdrianBetancourt.
