Bookshelf

The bookshelf, once relegated to a humdrum life dedicated to a strictly utilitarian purpose, is enjoying a major upsurge in popularity and status.

Bookshelves are now featured on the nightly news and other highly thought of and well-publicized venues as a background prop for the serious discussion of matters of utmost importance--the pandemic, for instance,and whether it is wise to open nail salons for business in the state of Georgia, climate change, recent decisions by The Supreme Court, the NFL draft, refugees in Syria...

Moreover, the bookshelf is the ideal symbol of certain inalienable democratic rights--a bookshelf tolerates any sort of book; anyone can put their books on a book shelf, any books they wish, as the books will humbly accept their place. Political or sexual orientation doesn't seem matter to them, nor does it matter whether the book on the bookshelf have been read or haven't been read--neither the bookshelf nor the books themselves seem to care.

Once books are placed on the bookshelf they become they perfected inanimate objects, both universal and tailored to individual consumer tastes; books on the bookshelf are symbolic expressions of their owners' intelligence, wisdom, and encyclopedic grasp of human history.

The bookshelf is currently holding up the world by holding up all our different beliefs in the world, as a pair of suspenders once held up a pair of pants.

PBS Anchorwoman Judy Woodruff broadcasting in front of her bookshelf, April 22, 2020.  Bookshelves are now the no.1 backdrop for network news programs.  (Photo by author).