"Inspired by owner Craig Florence's time working at Paris's Shakespeare and Company (a hub for English-speaking expat writers and readers since 1951), Mother Foucault's is an old-world paradise for artists and intellectuals. The aesthetic lends authenticity to Runkel's Platonic dialogues. "I took my boyfriend here on our first date so he would think I was cool," he says. And the kids love that Florence doesn't care if they buy anything."
"where it moved after its lease ran out at the end of 2024. The new shop has the same fake fireplace, same catwalk, same stage, and same polyglot collection arranged pell-mell on every surface. To the antique displays and Persian rugs, Florence added an updated typewriter station in the front window, an expanded reading area, and a shaded back patio with garden seating."
Mother Foucault's is a Paris-inspired used bookstore in Portland that attracts between two and ten self-taught readers at a time, including teenagers and interns. The shop fosters lingering by allowing patrons to sit and read for hours without pressure to buy. Vintage features include a fake fireplace, catwalk, stage, polyglot collections, antique displays, and Persian rugs alongside a typewriter station, expanded reading area, and shaded back patio with garden seating. The shop opened fifteen years ago on SE Morrison Street and relocated to a former post office on SE Grand after its lease ended in 2024. Laptops and smartphones remain prohibited.
Read at Portland Monthly
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