Why We Leave Books Behind

At The Milky WayFarer, we’re starting a new kind of guestbook, one with actual books.

A take-one, leave-one shelf where stories travel farther than luggage, and every reader leaves with a little more Marfa in them.

Most people come to Marfa expecting to discover something, art, quiet, maybe a UFO if the night’s clear and the mezcal is strong. But here at The Milky WayFarer, we think the real magic happens when you leave something behind.

Not socks or chargers (though, let’s be honest, it happens), but something that actually sticks, a story, a thought, a new perspective on this dusty little corner of the world.

We’re starting a small tradition, a take-one, leave-one shelf. Bring a book you’ve loved, and leave it behind for the next guest. Maybe it’s something that changed your mind, made you laugh, or just got you walking through the airport in Midland or El Paso. Whoever finds it next might read a few pages, underline something, or just admire the sand that somehow always makes its way between the pages.

Because leaving a book here isn’t really about losing it, it’s about passing on how you saw Marfa. Everyone sees this place differently: the artist chasing light, the couple chasing quiet, the kid chasing the sunsets on our bikes. Books just help keep those perspectives alive, one dog-eared page at a time.

Why Marfa Might Be the Perfect Place to Read

Reading in Marfa just hits differently. Maybe it’s the air, dry, thin, and a little electric. Maybe it’s the silence, the kind that feels earned. Or maybe it’s the way the light spills across a page around 4 p.m., turning every word golden.

There’s no rush here, and books like that. They breathe better in wide-open spaces.

In Marfa, you can sit outside with a paperback and feel like the story has room to stretch. No buzzing phones, no honking cars, just wind, maybe a far-off train, and that faint sense that time isn’t exactly linear anymore.

And let’s be honest, if you’re going to reread something heavy and existential, like The Stranger or Desert Solitaire, it might as well be under a sky big enough to handle the weight. Even lighter reads somehow feel more profound here. Romance novels get cinematic. Sci-fi starts to feel autobiographical.

So we say: bring a book. Read it slow. Then, if it feels right, leave it for the next guest.

Why It Matters

Because stories outlast stays. Guests come and go, the weather changes, the desert shifts, but a shelf of shared words connects everyone who’s ever paused long enough to notice how still it can get out here.

Our hope is that this little library grows into something that feels alive, part time capsule, part conversation. A reminder that not everything in Marfa is meant to be photographed, some things are meant to be read, felt, and passed on.

So when you pack up to head home, consider leaving a story behind. Preferably paperback. Hardcovers tend to weigh down the suitcase and the spirit.

Until next time - Rob and Becca!