Monday, August 20, 2018

Taking Things Seriously: 75 Objects with Unexpected Significance

Taking Things Seriously: 75 Objects with Unexpected Significance   by Joshua Glenn,  Carol Hayes

This is an odd little book that I found when I was evaluating part of the collection. The authors invited people they knew to submit a photo and short writeup about an object they found significant. The result is a book of 75 unlikely things that have been invested with significance. These include toys, scraps of posters, and even a bagel.  Yes, a bagel. 

The fact that these are individual short essays about objects with great personal significance makes for interesting reading. It also made me contemplate what kinds of things I would choose if I were to create a "wonder cabinet" of my own (it would be too difficult for me to choose just one thing).  It also makes me think about how I sometimes see something and wonder about the significance of it. Like, if I see something obviously set off by itself in a room, or on a shelf, or even on the street. It can be fun to make up stories about who would buy a particular pair of shoes, or a painting.  This little book offers a glimpse into those kind of stories.

No comments:

Post a Comment