"[One day I was] sitting on the A train and this kid gets on with his Reeboks, camo pants, flannel shirt tied around his waist, and headphones," Israel explained.
"Books, bookstore visits and purchases, writer talks, my daily outfits — basically anything that has to do with literature is #LiterarySwag. Anything a writer wears is #LiterarySwag," he said.
Similar to how actors are asked about their favorite designers on red carpets, Israel is trying to highlight fashion in the literary world by asking writers those same questions.
"When I see writers, editors, and publishers, I ask them for their three favorite writers and three favorite designers or places they shop for clothes," he said.
Israel hopes that people use #LiterarySwag as inspiration, and says he started the movement because he "wants to live in a world where kids are lining up outside of Strand the way they line up outside of Foot Locker when a pair of sneakers drop"
"At the heart of this hashtag, there is a love and appreciation for people who read and write and a deeper desire to encourage more people to do so without feeling like they have to give something up."
