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Artists John Brodie and Blair Saxon Hill just opened a new art and architecture bookstore on Alberta called Monograph Books (5005 NE Alberta), which will focus solely on "modern and contemporary art," including architecture, design, fashion, photography, art criticism, and artist biographies, both new and used. And as per the name, they'll specialize in artists' monographs from 1900 to the present. The store officially opened today; it's open Wed-Sun 11 am-7 pm.

As reported in the Oregonian, the Great Northwest Bookstore burned down on Sunday. Now Mark Woolley has set up a fund for writer Walt Curtis (Mala Noche, most famously), who apparently lost his personal archives in the fire:

Long-time gallery artist and iconic Portland poet and author Walt Curtis lost nearly an entire life of paintings, manuscripts and other worldly possessions in the May 2nd 3 alarm fire that consumed the Great Northwest Bookstore.

With Walt's blessing, Longtime friend Mark Woolley has set up a fund to help get Curtis much needed supplies, and basic funds to help get him back on his feet.

You can make a contribution to the Walt Curtis Fund at any Wells Fargo branch. Checks to the Walt Curtis Fund can be mailed to:

Walt Curtis Fund
Wells Fargo Bank
4233 NE Sandy Blvd
Portland, OR 97213

There's a paypal link here. I'd never actually been to Great Northwest—I think it's easy, in a town with a bookstore as benevolently monolithic as Powell's, to overlook the smaller ones. For a decent survey of some local stores, check out this recent post on the Hawthorne Books blog, the first in a promised series. (I think my favorite, though it's not on that list, is Murder by the Book.) And if you're not already following Reading Local: Portland, you really should be—they posted both of these stories yesterday.