Why is it you always see people being interviewed on the telly or YouTube or whatever, and it’s always in front of a tonne of books?
Lined up perfectly on a shelf.
We get it.
You’re smart.
You read a lot.
Or do you?
Twenty copies of the same self-help book.
Some pristine. Unopened.
Like virgin snow.
I’m sure it started off innocent, some poor soul had a couple of books behind them.
The next person saw it and thought, This’ll blow them away. Straight onto Amazon. Credit card screaming. Fifty books and a bookshelf from IKEA.
You can pay someone now to pick the right books for you. It’s a job. A whole career. Do it just right and it almost looks like you’re sitting in the Mitchell Library.
“It’s okay. You can trust me. I’ve got books.”
Just once, I’d love to see somebody sitting there with the telly on behind them, Chewin’ the Fat reruns blaring, maybe shouting upstairs,
“Oi! I can hear you snoring!”
(c) Paul Andrew Sneddon
