Set along Livingston’s Main Street, Elk River Books invites visitors into a light-filled space where tall windows cast warmth over shelves of new, used, and rare books, including works by Montana’s celebrated authors. Surrounded by cafes, galleries, and historic brick buildings, it’s the cornerstone of the town’s creative and cultural life. Co-owners Marc Beaudin and Andrea Peacock, writers, editors, and champions of Montana’s literary and natural heritage, guide the store’s vision. Marc’s poem “Ink” captures the spirit of the place: where wild rivers, migrating birds, and the written word flow together.

Ink

Brown grasses laid flat
by still the departing snow
heavy silence of gray
pierced only by voices of birds

Ravens and sandhills and
a single chickadee from somewhere
in the mystery of a cottonwood

From one of its fallen limbs
I watch a drift boat ease past,
bundled man in the bow
plying the near shore for trout

that might not still exist –
if not this spring, then one
sometime soon

I allow the cold to creep
like a hunting heron deep
into my bones – return to the car
hoping this pen still has some ink

Like fish & birds,
like another spring,
ink is a growing uncertainty

Fish and birds and Ink. This intersection between the natural world and the written word speaks to what Elk River Books is all about. Our name comes from the Apsáalooke term for the Yellowstone River, and it keeps us rooted in this ethic. Park County, Montana is a special place because of this strong connection and commitment to wild lands and wild creatures.

We’re honored to be at the heart of the Livingston literary community. It’s often said there are more published writers per capita here than anywhere else, and the list is long. It includes folks like Tom McGuane, Jamie Harrison, Doug Peacock, and that’s just scratching the surface.

Sadly, some of our friends have passed on. We miss Jim Harrison, Gatz Hjortsberg, Richard Wheeler, and many others. But we’ve also enjoyed meeting the next generation of writers and introducing them to our community of readers. More than anything, we love bringing booklovers together. Writers and readers have a home at Elk River.

Step inside Elk River Books and lose yourself among the shelves, or visit elkriverbooks.com to browse online and explore upcoming events, from readings and book signings to lectures, music, and performances.