Felicia Clark was 9 years old when she decided she wanted to become an author and own a bookstore. Today, she is living both dreams.
Clark, owner of Author Apothecary & Bookstore in downtown Oshkosh, never stopped believing in the dreams she first wrote down as a child. She published her first book, AWAKE: Poetry for the Healing, launched Measure Life In Bookmarks LLC and, with the support of her partner, Vinny Seichter, recently opened the independent bookstore she imagined decades ago. Seichter, an Army veteran, software developer and data scientist, purchased the downtown building through Seichter Property Holdings.
Today, the couple lives in the apartment above the bookstore, allowing Clark to simply walk downstairs each morning to the shop she once dreamed of owning.
We sat down with Clark to talk about childhood dreams, Harriet the Spy, the road that led back to Oshkosh and why she believes books can change lives.
You were 9 years old when you dreamed of becoming an author and owning a bookstore. Looking around today, what goes through your mind?
In high school, I used to write "Felicia's Life Goals" and hang them on my mirror. I'd update them all the time. Then life got busy, and I stopped. When I decided to publish my first book, I started making those lists again. It's crazy. In the last two years all of my dreams have come true. It's wild.
Where did those dreams begin?
Believe it or not, I was actually behind in reading in elementary school. My teachers told my parents I needed to catch up, so my mom read to me every night until I started reading those same books back to her. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with books. I was painfully shy, so books became my happy place. I wanted to be Harriet the Spy. I'd hide near a restaurant and write down conversations I overheard. I even wore the raincoat. I feel like Harriet the Spy changed my life. It probably led me into journalism in college because I loved documenting things.
After traveling the country for two years, why did Oshkosh feel like the right place to finally put down roots?
I always came back to Oshkosh. I'd leave and think, Oh, I miss Oshkosh.
I'm an Aries, which is a fire sign, and I always tell people I have to be by water because it calms me down. It cools me down from my Aries tendencies.
There was one time when I was living in Neenah and came to visit friends in Oshkosh. I got out of my car and could smell the water. Not in a fishy, lake kind of way, but you just know there's a body of water nearby.
When I lived here before, I walked to Menominee Park almost every day. Honestly, that park probably saved my mental health. Even on my hardest days, I'd spend time there and always come back feeling better. I just have a very special place in my heart for Oshkosh.
Why open an independent bookstore now?
Books are back. Independent bookstores are opening across the country, and here in Oshkosh,TBR Anonymous opened just weeks after we did. I think people are looking for community again. Even before I knew the statistics, though, I just wanted to live out my dream. I thought, 'I'm just doing it.'
Where did the name Author Apothecary come from?
Author Apothecary has multiple meanings. First and foremost, I wanted it to be a safe space for authors and artists.
I think after (the global pandemic), people didn't realize how much they had taken community for granted. We had all kind of started hiding away, and then suddenly community was taken away from us. People are looking for that third space again, and I've always wanted this to be one.
The word apothecary also goes back to healing. I wanted this to be a place that could help people heal. I even imagined it looking like an enchanted forest, with books, herbs and wellness products all working together to care for people.
Your website talks a lot about healing. Why do you believe books heal?
Books can educate us on any topic, but fiction can also remind us that we're not alone.
I grew up reading V.C. Andrews, and there were things happening to those characters that had happened to me. I remember thinking, I'm not the only person who's experienced this. That realization was incredibly healing.
I'm trying to cater to what people in this specific community are trying to heal from and struggling with, and then provide that in my space for healing.
At some point you stopped dreaming and actually published your first book. What changed?
I found a community of self-published writers. While we were traveling, I was listening to Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and working through The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron.
The first week’s exercise asked me to write my dreams as though they had already happened. I accidentally kept doing it for all 12 weeks. By week five my confidence was ridiculous. It worked. I kept telling Vinny, “I'm publishing my book. I'm starting a publishing company. I’m opening a bookstore!” I highly recommend everyone keep doing that exercise. You'll be unstoppable!
If Julia Cameron ever walked into my bookstore, I'd probably pass out first. Then I'd wake up and thank her. She helped me get my dreams into the world.
How did the bookstore happen?
I like to think I just had some lingering confidence left over. I loved my writing community and wanted to create a safe space for authors and artists. I figured if I was ever going to open a bookstore, this was the time.
What was opening day like?
My neighbor, Mason, owner of 920 District, a vintage clothing boutique, surprised me with a ribbon-cutting. Right before we opened, I kept looking outside because I had been manifesting a line down the block. There wasn't one yet, and I started getting nervous.
Then I looked up, and suddenly there was this huge line. Everything that I manifested…it was amazing.
Tell me about the Reader Remedy Book Bundles.
We joke that we're book pharmacists. Tell us what ails you and we'll help fill your prescription with the right book. Then we pair it with thoughtful items that encourage people to slow down and care for themselves.
What do you hope people leave with besides a book?
I'm already seeing customers find their people and their books. I hope they leave feeling inspired, connected and maybe a little more healed than when they walked in.
Bonus question: Other than your own store, of course, what are some of your favorite places in downtown Oshkosh?
Oh my gosh, there are so many. I love Planet Perk. They've done so much for the community over the years. I'm partnering with The Rolling Root on a Plants & Pages blind date with a book and plant event, and they're just wonderful. We work with The Fairy Book Mother who creates our Blind Date with a Book items, so I love seeing her at the Oshkosh Farmers Market.
Our neighbors at Can Can are the coolest neighbors. They even gave us a shout-out during one of their performances before we opened. Mason at 920 District has been so supportive, and I love what he's doing with his shop. The Gibson Social Club, Ruby Owl, Wagner Market are other favorites. I'm sure I'm forgetting somebody.
That's probably my favorite thing about downtown Oshkosh. Everyone genuinely wants everyone else to succeed. There's this incredible sense of community here, and I think that's what makes downtown Oshkosh so special.
About:
Owner: Felicia Clark
Address: 576 N. Main Street Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 -- Downtown Oshkosh
Website: https://www.authorapothecarybookstore.com/
Opened: June 6, 2026
