Spotlight on Bookstores: *Singing Wind Bookshop* in Benson, Arizona

Do not skim this post.  Sit down and take an armchair travel with Cathy of Kittling Books as she discovers, explores, and conquers the wonder that is Singing Wind Bookshop!  Cathy tells us how she heeded the” siren call of bookshop” and arrived at this unique treasure.  She’s well on her way to being our personal guide to the Seven Wonders of the Book World: I seem to prefer highlighting bookstores in unusual places. First Barter Books in England, which is in an old railway station. Now the Singing Wind Bookshop, which is on a working cattle ranch. I wonder what will be next?  Is that a challenge, Cathy?!

If you’re not a regular reader of Kittling Books, pop over and check out this dynamic blog.  Alice Cathy loves to read mysteries, historical fiction, history, and biographies (“kittling” is a Gaelic word meaning “anything that strikes [my] fancy”).  She hosts the Scene of the Blog each week, peeking into bloggers’ workspaces; I also enjoy the rotation of reading-themed art that graces her blog header.  

Now, sit back, relax, and imagine this visit to Singing Wind!

Long before today’s know-it-all marketing executives started talking about “branding”, Winn Bundy already had her brand on the door of her bookshop. Was she psychic? Not at all. You see, Winn Bundy’s bookshop happens to be in two rooms of her house– which is on a working cattle ranch. When you work with cattle out here in the West, you know all about branding.

I’d heard about the Singing Wind Bookshop outside of Benson, Arizona for years. I kept telling myself that I would have to make a point of stopping there for the novelty if nothing else. When Denis and I began staying down in Bisbee twice a year, I knew it was just a matter of time before I’d walk into Winn’s place. Like Winn, I’m not psychic. I just know the siren song of bookshops.

Benson is about 50 miles east of Tucson on Interstate 10. Take the exit for Ocotillo Road, head north a few miles,and keep your eyes peeled for a sign on the right for Singing Wind Road. It’s a dirt road heading out into the high desert. You’re throwing up a cloud of dust as you travel through the creosote, mesquite and blooming spires of yucca. All of a sudden, you see the sign for the Singing Wind, and you know you’re getting close. You’re on someone’s ranch, so be a good guest: if the gate is closed when you get to it, make sure you close it after your vehicle’s gone through. You don’t want cattle getting loose and possibly causing death and destruction out on the highway you came from.

A water tank, some cattle, a few goats, a cat heading for tall grass, outbuildings, a barn…. There it is! The house with the bell out front! Now, Winn’s hours of operation depend a great deal on what she’s doing at the time. Ring the bell and wait. If she’s around, you get to go inside and browse through all her books. Denis and I were in luck. A Dalmatian-Lab cross barked a welcome from the children’s section, and we soon heard Winn calling out for us to “Come on in!” We walked through the mesquite wood door complete with the Singing Wind brand, and… I found myself in Wonderland. Just call me Alice.

In 1956 Winn and her husband Bob bought a section of land (a square mile) known as the Singing Wind Ranch. That was the same year Winn earned a degree in history and English from the University of Arizona. Three children came along, grew up and moved out, and by 1973 Winn was wondering what to do. She’d long had the notion of opening a bookshop, but she lacked the money. Right about this time, Bob boarded two German Shepherds while their owners went to Europe. The dogs tormented the Bundys’ horses. When the dogs’ owners returned, Winn presented them with a $600 bill for feed and the veterinarian. That $600 stocked two shelves of books, and Winn was in business.

Winn’s business has grown primarily by word of mouth. Her bookshop now contains over 10,000 books– most of which specialize in the Southwest and the American Indian. Winn is a slim woman standing about 5 feet 5 inches tall. She tends to dress in jeans and plaid shirts with the sleeves rolled up. Her long gray hair is in a braid down the middle of her back. You can tell by her face that she’s done a lot of work outdoors. You can tell by her quicksilver movements that she doesn’t sit still for very long. You can tell by her speech that she has a difficult time suffering fools. And you can tell by her demeanor that she enjoys life.

Since Denis and I had never been in her bookshop, she gave us a guided tour. None of the shelves aremarked, but in a few minutes she told us what sorts of books were on every single one. Winn sells the types of books she likes to read. You’re not going to find Harlequin romances, Dan Brown, James Patterson, or Janet Evanovich. What you’re going to find is a treasure trove of history, biography, natural history, books by and about women– all with a Southwestern slant– that pack two rooms and a glassed-in porch. The books she has in that glassed-in porch– the children’s section– are perfect for teaching little ones about the land, wildlife and people of the Southwest. I looked at all the shelves and knew I could easily spend a couple of days carefully perusing every book on each shelf, but I also knew that wasn’t going to happen. Denis would want to head out well before Winn would give me the boot.

I handed Denis my camera and asked him to wander around taking photos both inside and out. After quickly scanning a few shelves, I made my way to the Womens and Arizona History sections, pulled up a chair, and got down to some serious browsing. While I smiled and lovingly pulled books from the shelves, the dog wandered through a time or two. Winn shelved a book where I was sitting, took a look at the books I’d separated into my Buy Pile and said, “You’ve got some good ones there!” After making a couple of recommendations, she went into another room, and it wasn’t long before I heard Winn and Denis conversing.

My Buy Pile kept growing, and I knew I had to get out of there before I had to take out a bank loan. I carried my booty into the second room, looked around at the books in there, and then forced myself to go over to Winn’s desk where all the buying and selling takes place. If you take a closer look at the photo, you’ll see that there’s no POS cash register, no computer, no little machine to swipe credit cards. That’s because it’s Winn’s house, Winn’s bookshop, and she doesn’t do credit cards. She prefers checks so there won’t be much cash around the place. As she added up my purchase on her calculator and wrote up a receipt, we talked books. We talked Arizona. We talked travel both foreign and domestic. Denis came in from his roaming and joined in. Winn likes to get acquainted with her visitors, and she’s such a remarkable woman that the feeling was mutual.

It’s no wonder that Winn and her Singing Wind Bookshop are so popular amongst those in the know. It’s no wonder the Singing Wind has annual parties and author signings. And it’s certainly no wonder that it’s won awards. Both owner and bookshop are one-of-a-kind treasures, and I certainly want to visit again when we’re down Benson way. If you ever find yourself in Tucson, make a point of driving over to Benson to pay a visit, too. Don’t forget your checkbook!

Now, if you’re ready to hop a plane, train or automobile to visit Singing Wind Bookshop yourself, here’s the address:

Singing Wind Bookshop
700 West Singing Wind Road
Benson, Arizona 85602