Selected Stories opened in the Pearl District as a considered response to what the neighbourhood was missing — a bookshop with a strong point of view about contemporary fiction and literary writing, in a room designed to allow proper looking. The space is a single long room with a central table and shelves arranged around the walls: a layout that reflects the selection philosophy, which is curatorial rather than comprehensive. The stock is English-language literary fiction, translated fiction, and essays, with poetry and a children's section that has the same care as the adult one. The table display changes weekly and is worth reading as a statement about what the shop thinks is worth your attention. It is a small shop that has made the argument, convincingly, that selection matters more than quantity.
Pearl District, Portland, United States