Michael Seidenberg

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]

Michael Seidenberg
Born	(1954-07-22)July 22, 1954
Died	July 8, 2019(2019-07-08) (aged 64)
Occupation	book seller

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]

Personal life

Seidenberg was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and grew up in New York City.^[12] He studied drama at Queensborough Community College. His first job was as a puppeteer, and he ran his troupe from a storefront in Brooklyn in the 1970s, a space which also became the first iteration of BrazenHead.^[8][13] He was married to Nicky Roe who worked as a circulation manager for Rolling Stone.^[9]