Walter Swan Created One Unique Way to Sell Books in Bisbee
BISBEE — Long after his death, the folks in Bisbee still talk about Walter Swan and his One Book Bookstore. Swan became sort of a folk hero in the mid-1970s when he wrote a book entitled “Me ‘n’ Henry,” a compilation of stories about growing up in Arizona when much of it was still relatively uncivilized. But he couldn’t find a publisher, so he paid a Tucson business $650 to print it. Then he couldn’t find a distributor so he rented space in a Main Street building for $100 a month and opened the One Book Bookstore.
He called it that because the only thing for sale in the One Book Bookstore was Swan’s only book. He sold more than 8,000 of them at $19.95 each.
Walter Swan was featured in the Bisbee Gazette because of all the national exposure he acquired. Courtesy of Sam Lowe.
The enterprise was so successful that Swan wrote additional books and sold them at the Other Book Store, located right next to the One Book Bookstore. As sales increased, so did the notoriety. Soon Swan was Bisbee’s most famous citizen, appearing in Erma Bombeck’s column and People magazine, and on David Letterman’s late night show and Bill Cosby’s “You Bet Your Life.”
Before he died in 1994, Swan sold more than 20,000 of his books, but both stores closed shortly after his death.
I remember the original article – had it in my scrapbook for eons. I always thought (still do) there was a plot for a novel there. I kept the article so that, when I wrote it and submitted it to an editor, and they told me it was unrealistic, I’d be able to send them a copy of the article and say, “No it’s not. See?” 😉
I had the pleasure of meeting Walter in 1990 while visiting Bisbee. Few men like him were around then, or now. Honest open and quite fun to converse with. I have a copy of his book packed away somewhere, and need to pull it out and read it again. Just a man’s observations on youth and growing up. Simple unpretentious and like Walter a joy to be a part of. I didn’t know he has passed but he will be missed.
Met Walter in 1989 and purchased an autographed copy of his book. Really nice man, sad to know he is gone. That book is a classic in my opinion. Just ran across my copy which he had signed 8/18/89. Wow didn’t realize it that old
Well I’m in England, and I’ve just picked up a copy of Me ‘n Henry and out fell a photo of Walter in his book store, reclining in his tilting arm chair. He looks like he’d seen it all.
I don’t know who left it, I found it in Twickenham. Sweet book.
My family and I met Walter on the 4th of July 1991, when we saw him rocking on his chair in his storefront window!! I had heard and read about him in Arizona Highway, but he was it was such a pleasure to chat with him about the Good Ol’ Days, that my Dad would always talk about, born in 1911 and raised on the the wild and wooley street of Brewery Gulch, Bisbee!
I graduated high school with Allen Swan, Walter’s son. Met Walter in his bookstore & had a nice visit. The walls were plastered with postcards from around the world from people who bought his book.