When David Unowsky opened Hungry Mind (later called Ruminator) bookstore in Saint Paul in 1970, Minnesota was flyover land; East Coast publishers gave little thought to the Midwest and rarely sent their touring authors to bookstores in the middle of the country. David persuaded New York publishers to put a Saint Paul stop on their publicity tours and soon John Updike, Norman Mailer, Alice Walker, and many other nationally known authors joined the many Midwest authors who were holding readings and signing books on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul.
Hungry Mind’s reputation grew as the store expanded and became known for the wide array of books on its shelves. Its reputation grew when David started Hungry Mind Review, which attracted contributors such as Robert Bly, Jane Hamilton, Andrei Codrescu, and others to write articles and review books mainly published by small presses. Hungry Mind Review was distributed nationally in independent bookstores.
In 1995, David became a publisher. Hungry Mind Press published 50 titles over the next nine years.
After closing Ruminator, David became the events manager at Magers and Quinn and Subtext bookstores, continuing to help nationally known and new authors with book launches and signings.
Since 2008, David has been a counselor at Springboard for the Arts, helping writers and small publishers learn how to navigate the ever-changing world of publishing.