I like the bookstore analogy as well as your idea of better possibility of 'bottom up' curation to supplement the 'top down' style we currently have.
Maybe even tying a curation reward with a bonus/boost when paired with an upvoted comment on that post.
While I know it's not always practical, I would love to see a snippet of WHY a post was curated such as being a preferred topic, originality, moved by art/music, genuine bearing of the soul, etc. (Sorry, I'm just brainstorming now) But just like having some description of why a post is being flagged is/would be a huge help to reduce negative reactions, I'd assume others wondering why a post was curated (say over theirs) could help with the envy or jealousy of others having success.