From ill-advised tattoos to over-the-top contouring, the 2010s were undeniably marked by trends that may elicit more than a few cringes upon reflection. One seemingly benign, yet puzzling trend was the practice of displaying books with their spines facing the wall, reducing volumes filled with knowledge to mere decorative objects. Once a source of mockery and outrage among bibliophiles, this trend has, unfortunately, persisted into the present day, with recently retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer being the latest to succumb to its grip.
The controversial set-up was spotted during Justice Breyer’s promotional appearances for his new book, where he was seen on Washington Post Live situated against a backdrop of backward-facing books. Critics of this display argue it is a rather unfortunate adaptation of aesthetics over intellectualism and functionality.
The trend was previously labeled as an illiteracy-inducing habit for “empty-headed people,” an “ignoramus watch”, and attributed to outright “book foul play”.
The blame for this questionable setup during Breyer’s session lies with the publisher, Simon & Schuster, according to Rate My Skype Room. As posited by the Twitter account, the publisher allegedly did not want to promote non-Simon & Schuster books and thus decided to turn the spines towards the wall. This perception, if accurate, places short-term gain over the long-term objective of promoting a love for books as a whole.
In the eyes of many ardent readers, the trend of turning books backward trivialises the entire purpose of a book, reducing it to a mere decorative article. This approach does little to contribute to the promotion of the written word and calls into question the best way for publishers and prominent figures to visually represent their regard for books.
For further reading on this topic, visit the article “Supreme Court Justice Falls For Most Ignorant Trend Of Them All“.