I got a new tool to test-drive. Alas, it isn’t mine to keep, only to play with for the week. A brand-spankin’-new Wacom Tablet!
In honor of this nifty new device, I created a new picture thingy for the blog. It’s going to live on the “About” page until I come up with something better. But here it is for all to see!
A cartoon self-portrait of me.
I’ll try to create some less-self-indulgent images, but I figured that it was time for a new picture. 🙂
Claire Crossdale and Fresh Hell are tough acts to follow, with delightfully diverse guilty pleasure (I’m guilty of a few of theirs as well). After much contemplation (and many “guilty” pleasures later) I determined the one that, while I’m not particularly embarrassed to enjoy, this is suitably ridiculous:
I love typeface. It isn’t a simple “oh, that font is pretty.” It borders on obsession (much like footnotes).
My love of typeface isn’t one like an adoration of a band, author or actor. I’m terrible at remember what specific typefaces look like (even the all obvious Helvetica. Put that next to a similar sans serif and I won’t be able to tell which is which). But there’s a certain beauty to typeface. Words sometimes just look right in High Tower Text (my current header’s font) or the ever-present Helvetica.
Typeface, of course, adds to the flavor of the book, whether we recognize it or not. Patrick O’Brian books are printed with a close set, old-timey serif. It feels right, meshes with our understanding of the subject matter so perfectly that it becomes second nature. The reader expects that typeface, they know the feel of the words and almost what to expect because of it. Again, the story just wouldn’t have the same flow if printed in a sleek font like Helvetica.
Harry Potter is set in Adobe Garamond, which the little blurb at the back of the books informs us is “a typeface based on the sixteenth century type designs of Claude Garamond, redrawn by Robert Slimbach in 1989.” The font has a whimsical but stately quality to it, one that fits with the feel of the book.
And then, we have the book I’m currently reading, With Wings Like Eagles. It’s an engaging, well-written book, but the typeface is just so darned interesting that I get distracted. Even while reading about how pilots managed to escape from burning cockpits, I find I need to reread the paragraphs because I get hung up on the letter “A” (both upper and lower cases) when I catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye. There are two main problems: a) I actually really enjoy reading this book and b) the publisher wasn’t as nice as Scholastic and didn’t include any information about the typeface.
Up next:
lostwanderer5.blogspot.com
Lindzy1954
RavenCorrinnCarluk
ForbiddenSnowflake
AuburnAssassin
DavidZahir
Charlotte49ers
Fokker Aeroplanbau
laharrison
collectonian
capes and corsets
vfury
Bsolah –
JackieA
I adore footnotes. Honestly. While doing research (or just reading history books for fun), few things delight me more than those little gobbets hidden in the lower margin. Even when reading about a topic that interests me greatly, a digression proves too inviting to resist.
Let’s look at the book I’m currently reading, a history of the Battle of Britain called With Wings Like Eagles by Michael Korda. Now, apart from being a well written, engaging book with an ample bibliography, Korda makes use of footnotes. Enjoy this snippet (digression taken while discussing the difference between Luftwaffe and RAF bases):
“Our quarters at a former Luftwaffe base near Hamburg…not only had indoor baths and showers but featured a mysterious-looking porcelain basin set in the wall which was too small, too high up, and too elaborately decorated to be a urinal, and which turned out to be a flushing vomitorium for those who had drunk too much beer” (64).
Will that ever feature into my works? Probably not. Will that ever be something I’ll need to know? Again, probably not, but I’ll bet it will make for interesting conversation fodder.
I sometimes think of years in terms of calendars, of the pictures and themes that each holds. As a child, these calendars would fall into themes of endless similarity. For years, I had American Girl calendars, and I really can’t distinguish most of my elementary school years. The puppies and wolves of middle school gave way to more variety come high school (most memorable being Disney characters and Pirates of the Caribbean).
In 2008, my calendar was Edward Hopper paintings, full of pale light, fanciful images and good times with friends.
2009 was the year of Marvel Superheroes. When things got stressful, I’d look to my calendar for moments of crystal clear right-and-wrong, primary colors and childlike wonder.
For the upcoming year, my calendar is The Beatles, with simply black and white photography and minimalist design. There are moments of tranquility among madness captured in black and white photos, and I know I will find these moments in my day to day life, no matter how hectic and stressful life becomes.
A happy, safe and prosperous New Year to you all!
First off, remember that it’s “2010” not “20010.” I’m pretty sure that the latter will be recorded at some point in my journal.
On a more serious note, I have a few plans for this humble blog, too.
1. Post more often
Over the summer, I got into a groove. Two+ posts a week of decent to quite good quality. Once school started up again, the post frequency diminished. I hope to bring some sort of posting schedule. Looking at my schedule for next semester, I’ll probably post at least once a week on Wednesdays. This will start the end of January, and I’ll continue on my sporadic posting schedule until then.
2. Increase post quality
I’m a bit of a fly-by-the-seat of my pants person when it comes to blog posts. Some entries are well thought out, well planned and the product of a couple of days work. Other posts…well, they’re written at 2 am and I’m lucky if I proofread. Proofing will be the first step towards this goal! I’m also thinking of putting together a series, of what, I’m not sure, but a common thread should help unify my posts.
3. Include more pictures!
My posts are usually boring. No pictures. Lots of text. But starting next year, I hope to include images with my posts. Most will (hopefully) be taken by yours truly. I’m going to be traveling and should take some spectacular shots.
4. Include a list of books I finish in the What’s On the Bookshelf? page
I tried this and kept forgetting to update. Starting January 1, you’ll see a list of what I’ve read for the year, broken down by month. This probably will include texts I’m reading for school, but I do find these mentally stimulating. My bio text this last semester was particularly interesting (The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett).
A Happy Christmas from me to you! This is my favorite scene from my favorite Christmas movie, the “Sisters” lip sync number from White Christmas!
Watching this movie is a family tradition. Thoough at times cheesy and there are a few plot holes, the movie is fun, sweet, and completely wonderful.
Ned Wolfe 