ABSTRACT
The display windows are filled with maps, guidebooks, and equipment essential for being immersed in other cultures. One can immediately enjoy a new purchase by gliding into the adjoining tea shop next door for a spot o' tea poured from a cozy-enshrouded pot. One of the curious aspects of book selling in Seattle is the absence of street vending, either by established stores or by independent purveyors. Most cities that are proud of their literary devotion, from London to Paris to New York, have numerous sidewalk locations at which to peruse and purchase new or used books. Courts have held that any restriction on the selling of books is an infringement on most basic of freedoms, the First Amendment's protection of the freedom of speech. Look at the diminutive Cinema Books up on Roosevelt Avenue near 50th Street. Tucked into the building housing the delightfully tatty Seven Gables Theater, is an intriguing repository of cineastic literature.
