Michael Seidenberg
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Michael Seidenberg | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 22, 1954 |
| Died | July 8, 2019 (aged 64) |
| Occupation | book seller |
Michael Seidenberg (July 22, 1954 – July 8, 2019) was a New York City bookstore owner and writer.[1][2] His shop, BrazenHead Books, was a secret bookstore, its last incarnation a by-appointment-only space, hidden behind a door in his Manhattan apartment.[3][4][5]
The store was described as one of the "world's most stunning bookstores" by Fodor's in 2014.[6] Seidenberg regularly ran literary salons in the space, described as "more like a salon than a for-profit business" by the New York Times.[7][8] BrazenHead became known more for its get-togethers and the literary atmosphere than as a bookstore. "Literary culture has become far too corporate — Michael and Brazenhead are reminders of how and why to love books and authors," said novelist Porochista Khakpour.[9] Jonathan Lethem was an early bookstore employee as a teenager, and wrote Seidenberg as a character into two of his novels.[8]
Seidenberg wrote a series of advice columns for The New Inquiry called Unsolicited Advice for Living in the End Times which were published in two collected volumes.[10][11]