Kathryn Jean Lopez, writing in National Review Online:
Barack Obama's autobiography makes the "African-American" section in the Barnes & Noble on M Street in Georgetown. Clarence Thomas's autobiography does not. Wonder how that decision was made.
See, here's one of the things that sets wingnuts apart from, how shall I put this.... sane people. Some of us might see Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" shelved in a place that we find a little puzzling. And some of us might have a brief flash of "this may be the product of a left-wing (or right-wing) conspiracy."
But then, for most of us, a still small voice speaks up in our head that says "naw, that's crazy." (Yes, my still small voice does, in fact, have a Southern accent).
But for people like Kathryn Jean Lopez, that still small voice is missing, replaced by an urgently babbling voice that says "Quick! to the Internet! We must warn everyone right away!"
I wonder what it's like to live your life inside this bubble of fear and paranoia, where even the shelving of books has a dark, scary significance. Brrrr....
(Hat tip to Sadly, No!)
10 comments:
These kind of people see conspiracies everywhere. I've worked in a book store before. I've see books placed in what I've considered wrong classifications more than once. I never attached any more significance to it than someone at the publisher in a hurry, a lot of books to place, and wanting to get finished. That's all this probably was; either that or her bosses told her to make something provocative out of nothing. That's more likely, now that I think of it.
I don't know how things are done in the big chain stores, but in small bookstores where I've worked, shelving location often depends on which clerks checks in a particular new title. So it's easy to end up with Obama in "African American" and Thomas in "Biography" at the same time. Or some of Ken Bruen's novels in "Mystery" while others are shelved in "Fiction." I think Ms. Lopez needs a hobby.
Beware the Vast Chucklehead Conspiracy! You've been warned...
In our local big chaing bookstore, On Chesil Beach by McEwan, about sexual ignorance in the sixties, was published on a rack called Beach Reading.
I wonder what it's like to live your life inside this bubble of fear and paranoia,
Maybe John McCain will win the election and you'll find out.
The main use use of the internet, after porn, is the reactionary hissy fit.
What's that called, the Yellow Volkswagon theory? You never notice them till you buy one then every second car is a freakin' yellow Volkswagon.
If we have to put up with the hissy fits to get the porn, I say it's worth it.....
John, yes.
I'll never forget walking into a Borders and finding my first novel (most assuredly not a mystery) in the Mystery section. I mentioned it to a clerk who told me that it was, in fact, a mystery. When I told him that I had written it, and I was pretty sure that it wasn't, he was not moved in the slightest.
I've long suspected that this was all a part of a left-wing conspiracy on the part of book chains, and now those fears have been validated.
Tag, JD, you're it! :) Read the rules at:
http://kellistanley.blogspot.com/2008/04/tag-im-it.html.
Don't worry--it's fun. :)
Hugs,
Kelli
Although I too worked at a bookstore and the above explanations are correct, it could also have to do with the fact that Obama is running for President and Thomas has not uttered a word in Supreme court session in two years.
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