Selected Stories brings curated reads to Division

The big picture: Owner Chris Phillips knows Portland is home to plenty of bookstores — those dedicated to a single genre (like romance, cooking or travel); used; rare; and hyperlocal spots that champion Pacific Northwest authors.

• So before he opened Selected Stories last month, he spent the last five or so years researching small presses, reading reviews and making spreadsheets of titles — a slow-building process aimed at creating something curated, like the stores he loved to browse in his native London.

What he's saying: "Books are really beautiful objects," he told Axios.

• "I wanted to do something that really showed them off to their best advantage."
• After getting some reassurance from the Oregon Small Business Development Center, which told him Portland had not yet reached its bookshop quota, Phillips went ahead with his dream.

Zoom in: The result is a carefully arranged shop where every spine feels intentional and literary fiction dominates the shelves.

• Beloved authors like Rachel Cusk, Ocean Vuong, and Lydia Millet are placed beside standouts from independent publishers.

• There are also contemporary classics, poetry, criticism and lesser-known international titles — translated books by authors in Latin America, the Middle East and beyond.

What's next: Phillips hopes to host author readings in the future, as well as "literary salons" — where patrons can sip wine, browse books and meet like-minded readers.

• For now, he's focused on settling into his new routine (he's the shop's only employee) and growing a following in the neighborhood, which he said has welcomed him and been "really kind of humbling."

If you go: Selected Stories (3360 SE Division St.) is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am to 7pm and Sundays from noon to 5pm.