Jalamanta: A Message from the Desert

The legendary Brodsky Bookshop is the oldest bookshop in magical Taos, New Mexico. It was founded as an eclectic store specializing in new books in 1977 by the late Lee Brodsky in a long, narrow space next to the Taos Inn on Paseo del Pueblo Norte. In the 1980’s Lee purchased Dr. Cook’s old office (alleged to have once been a house of ill-repute) a little farther up Pueblo Norte across from Kit Carson Park, and the bookshop moved for the first time. When Lee went to Book Heaven in 1992, my husband (Rick Smith) and I (Morris Witten) bought the bookshop. Along with the off and on assistance of some dedicated staff and the occasional help of our sons, we have continued Lee’s tradition of a highly eclectic but always fascinating family owned and operated bookshop. When the internet changed bookselling forever (the last book we sold some awfully good customers was “Internet for Dummies”) we began to take a few used books in trade. In the late 90’s we moved the bookshop three doors North to the Ortiz Building (across from the Nicolai Fechin House)and began dealing in both new and used books. We also carry a strange and interesting ever-changing selection of LPs. On March 1st, 2021, we moved one block north into a cozy spot more suitable for doing business online; i.e., space for more books and room to pack boxes. Our online inventory features some of our more unusual and outstanding titles. If you don’t see what you want here, please email us. We are happy to search for new, used and rare titles. Next time you’re in northern New Mexico stop by and say hello. As we say in our ads -- we are “the little bookshop with big surprises.”…