Murphy-Brookfield Books
I was very sad to learn that the 33-year-old Murphy-Brookfield Books, my favorite bookstore in Iowa City, closed last fall. It sells books online at Abebooks and Alibris.
I posted yesterday on bookstores, and then idly looked up Murphy-Brookfield, which sells Viragos, books by Gilbert Highet about the classics, out-of-print classics, scholarly books, history, biographies, and more.
Martha the bookstore cat
Mark Brookfield said in an Iowa City Press Citizen article, “It’ll be very hard to stop having a bookstore.”
And what was his favorite part of having a bookstore? “Just working with the books, talking to the people.”
The bookstore cat, Martha, a tortoiseshell, helped out. I would sit on a stool; she would sit on the stool. I would crouch to look at books; she would look at books.
She hung out.
I loved Brookfield’s apparent policy of leaving people alone. He was friendly, but didn’t try to “sell” books.
If a used bookstore cannot survive in Iowa City, a UNESCO City of Literature, it cannot survive anywhere.
Martha
The historic stone building has been sold to The Haunted Bookshop, another used bookstore.
You can see a video about the two bookstores here.
Tell me about any of your favorite bookstores that have closed.
mirabile dictu 
How sad – I would be mortified if Treasure Chest Books in Felixstowe shut down – it’s like an Aladdin’s cave! I am a great fan of all things analogue, including books – one day all the electrical things will die and we’ll go back to old ways and at least I’ll have my tree books and a candle!!
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I, too, was shocked as well as saddened to learn just a week ago when I drove down to Iowa City to Murphy-Brookfield Books that the store had changed hands. I had not been there for some time and liked to visit the place during the middle of the week in the afternoon when it always seemed the best chance of catching Mark Brookfield at the store. We had the most stimulating discussions about writers, books, and authors we’d met over the years in Iowa City. Although the quality of the inventory of books still seems to exist, the two women who now run the place, although friendly and helpful, somehow seemed to have dispelled the charm of the establishment. When I inquired about Mark’s whereabouts, I was told that he is still active in the book trade but now works out of his home. She gave me a former bookmark of the store with Mark’s telephone number on it: (319) 338-3077.
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Karen, I do hope good bookstores like Treasure Chest will stay open. I had no idea Murphy-Brookfield was closing.
Joel, I do know The Haunted Bookshop, which is there now (though I haven’t been there since it has moved). It is a good bookstore, but not quite as interesting as Murphy-Brookfield, or perhaps that simply means I’ve gone through their books too many times. It used to be located around the block on Linn Street. I wonder if she was able to buy any of the stock, or if all stayed with Mark.
Going to Murphy-Brookfield was one of the main reasons to go to Iowa City. Well, let’s hope this is a much-needed retirement for Mark Brookfield instead of a going-out-of business.
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As far as trends go, rest assured that The Bookstore will go through a revival, like everything else.
Yesterday I went to a new coffee shop, it was decorated in Library fashion. Solemn bookshelves, long tables with ‘library’ lamps and people were studying. People need the bookstore and library ambiance.
Even with things like this existing: http://bexarbibliotech.org/ a complete paperless, bookless library I think that slowly innovative book sellers will find a way to sell paper books again.
I’m sure.
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I love the bookshop idea of the coffeeshop, and how nice the coffee shop is looking like a library. Yes, bookstores are doing what they can, and I do find I often prefer real books to e-books. Still, I use my e-reader quite a bit.
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