Remembering Brazenhead Books

Wow. This just really brought me back to the mid 2010s era of exploring NYC.

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Brazenhead Books a long time ago. The pseudo-bookstore, illegally run from inside an apartment owned by Michael Seidenberg on East 84th St. You would go to an unassuming normal NYC apartment building, take the elevator up, and enter a slightly cracked door in a hallway to the sights of books stacked at every turn. It was just wonderful.

Michael was often there co-leading a talk or a discussion, but also acting as the sole employee and cashier. Books had prices, but they were never set in stone. His apartment was one of the most unique book stores I’ve ever been to. It was eventually shut down and Michael “retired” elsewhere and eventually passed away in 2019.