Title: Taft 2012 : a novel
Author: Jason Heller
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa.: Quirk Books, c2012.
Call No.: HEL
With the recent debate over the Sticker Lady case in Singapore and the upcoming US Presidential Elections, I thought that my chancing upon this book was pretty serendipitous. Picking it up from the shelf, I wasn’t expecting much because, let’s admit it, a picture of pigeons and a brick wall just doesn’t make for an interesting book cover that kicks a punch.
What really caught my attention was the graffiti of the 27th President of the United States, William Howard Taft. Not only does the it look Obama-esque, the stern expression of Taft jars subtly with the modern art of graffiti stenciling, which poses an intriguing contrast. The final touch of mystery comes in when you realise that: hey, Taft was born in the 19th century and here he is, runnning for presidency again in 2012? What gives? Has Taft time-travelled into the future? Can he handle the stress of politicking in this media-fueled society?