Review: 79 Short Essays on Design by Michael Bierut

79 Short Essays on Design by Michael Bierut
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The majority of what's collected in this book are reviews, but they sometimes read like essays. Because of this, Bierut's writing refers to controversies and hot topics at the time and they occasionally show their flaws in the light of the passing years. Some are remembrances of influential designers, artists, photographers, and creative persons who have recently passed away and played some role in shaping Bierut's life. But the best work comes in the form of the more recognizable essays, that is, the writings that transcend time while capturing it. A shining example of Bierut's congruent power of writing as a designer can be seen in "On (Design) Bullshit." Bierut recounts one of the major confrontations between architect Richard Meier and artist Robert Irwin in the 1997 documentary, "Concert of Wills," which chronicles the construction of the Getty Center in Los Angeles. He finishes the piece with an example from his years working as a designer with Massimo Vignelli. What is evident in reading these 79 articles is that designers are influenced by any and everything, even falling off a treadmill at the gym.

Given that this is a book on design written by a notable designer (Bierut is a partner in renowned international design agency Pentagram), the content and how it is packaged are presented in a clever manner: each article is presented in a different typeface, most of which is connected to or referenced in the article. (See "I Hate ITC Garamond.")

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Tags: books, reviews, design, art, essays, architecture, photography, movies, typography, music

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'Show Me Where Ya Noms At'

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"Thinking About You" - Frank Ocean & Bridget Kelly

Frank Ocean's:


Frank Ocean - Thinking About You (music video) from High5Collective on Vimeo.

Bridget Kelly's:

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September 11, 2011

Sept. 11: 2001-2011

When they don’t want to defend the people they put them in uniforms and start defending the country.

— Samuli Paronen

There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare.

— Sun Tzu

In war the result is never final.

— Clause von Clausewitz

Am I still dreaming?

Two weeks ago, I told a friend/coworker that I sometimes fear going to sleep because during my slumber I may slip into a parallel world that is at once familiar yet fundamentally different from the day before. It would be no different than if I were living in a dream.

My review of "Chasing the Perfect: Thoughts on Modernist Design in Our Time"

Chasing the Perfect: Thoughts on Modernist Design in Our Time by Natalia Ilyin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A collection of personal essays centered on design, Ilyin voices the doubts some of us have when we see a chair, fork, or table in a catalogue that looks perfectly designed with its clean lines, brushed stainless steel surface, and its hefty price tag. We see these items for their promises of a better life after we slide our plastic cards through the checkout line and bring back the haul into our homes. But these promises can often be nothing more than hollow and imbalanced, despite appearances. Even when we choose imperfection, as Ilyin notes with great insight, it's for the "right" type of imperfection.

"What will happen to us as a culture when we have been completely conditioned only to choose between options, rather than to come up with solutions?" Ilyin asks. It's a question that goes beyond the world of design.

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Tags: books, reviews, design, history, art, architecture, essay, memoir, technology

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My review of "The Poisoner's Handbook" by Deborah Blum

The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blum does a wonderful job of portraying the lives and work of Dr. Charles Norris, New York's first professional chief medical examiner, and Alexander Gettler, a tireless toxicologists and researcher. She shows how prevalent and easily available various poisons were in New York during the early 20th century. The descriptions of the havoc left behind by the different poisons, which frame each section of the book, are succinct with a touch of Blum's flair for the right detail without being gratuitous — an interesting balancing act to read. As we learn about each poison, Blum provides examples of actual crimes and accidental deaths related to them. Ironically, one of the more horrific times for alcohol-related deaths was Prohibition due to people imbibing industrial alcohol adulterated with government-sanctioned chemicals that were supposed to deter them. Despite what some may say and think of them today, the Food and Drug Administration was finally given expanded regulatory oversight over numerous manufactured products such as pesticides, makeup, and food and alcohol. Norris and Gettler's hard work, persistence, and rigorous research helped pave the way to a safer world.

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(It's scary how much Blum knows about how to poison a person ... which makes for a very funny "Author's Note.")

Tags: books, reviews, history, mystery, food, crime, music, biography

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A brief review of "A Bride's Tale" by Kaoru Mori

A Bride's Story, Vol. 1 by Kaoru Mori
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sumptuous period detail with patient, unfurling storytelling. Mori has shown much improvement since "Emma" with this story of a 19th century Middle Eastern bride and her new family. Unlike other manga reprints, Yen Press has published this in a larger format (about the size of a regular paperback) that succeeds in showcasing Mori's fine art.

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Tags: books, review, manga, comics, history, love

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My review of Jonathan Franzen's "Freedom"

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What does it mean to be a person in the "land of the free" when each and every one of us are bound by the relationships we find ourselves in, regardless of whether or not we want to be in them? What does it mean to be "free" in a world that, despite or because of, our global connectedness to whatever abstract or concrete degree that we can see and feel it, doesn't allow us to be truly alone to experience utter freedom? Can we find some redemption and solace in knowing that just as we are free to make mistakes, we are equally free to correct them? These types of questions were popping in my mind as I read "Freedom." Franzen attempts to put into a novel a definitive account of not only one family's saga and but also the national generational sensibilities that seeped throughout the U.S. of the 2000s. He succeeds in weaving together the thoughts and actions of his characters with objective and acute observations about them in a way reminiscent of voice-overs in nature documentaries. Patty's early life in the beginning of "Freedom" was a slog to get through and it was jarring initially to read her memoirs in the third person, but it laid the foundation for her dealings with her family and friends later on. Reading the travails of the Berglunds in "Freedom" felt as messy, fascinating, and complicated as hearing the latest life news from a close friend or family member.

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Tags: books, literature, reviews, US, ideas

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In need of service

Life has been busy. This place needs a new coat and some freshness in it, which I will work on.

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Sunday itinerary at the 2011 Tucson Festival of Books

Who is this rabbit?

I'll be tweeting for the Arizona Daily Wildcat @wildcatarts as SK. Here's my itinerary for second, and final, day of the 2011 Tucson Festival of Books with alternatives in place:

10 - 11 a.m.
Critics Table: The Power of the Restaurant Review
Culinary Stage - UA Mall
Bon Appetit magazine's EIC Barbara Fairchild, Tucson-based reviewer Rita Connelly and chef Janos Wilder all at once? I'm there.

Alternatives:
Building Comics from the Ground Up
Integrated Learning Center - Room 140
This is my first alternative if my first choice is full, which, given my experiences yesterday, is likely. Terry Moore was great to interview and Eric Esquivel is an engaging guy on, well, any topic.

Against the Odds: Women in Jeopardy
Student Union - Tucson Room
I caught Wendy Corsi Staub and Libby Fischer Hellmann at a panel about relationships in crime fiction and they were great to listen to, so this sounds like a good choice.

11 - 11:30 a.m.
Time for an early lunch, which proved to be a prudent choice yesterday.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Modern Heroes/Heroines in Science Fiction and Fantasy
Integrated Learning Center - Room 140

Alternatives:
Banned Again! Difficult Issues in Teen Novels
Join Lauren Myracle, the most frequently banned author in the country, to talk about her experiences with censorship and the importance of building bridges rather than taking oppositional stances when a book is challenged. Oh, and she promises not to be boring.
Education Building - Kiva Auditorium
I've never read any of Myracle's books since I am not her target reader nor am I a parent. I'm curious as to what has made her books so controversial.

Writing Science for Non-Scientists
Integrated Learning Center - Room 137
Meg Daley Olmert

The Graphic Novel: Is a Picture Really Worth 1,000 Words?
UA Mall Tent
Diana Gabaldon and Luis Alberto Urrea speaking about graphic novels? Might be interesting, especially since I reviewed the comic book adaptation of Gabaldon's first novel for the Arizona Daily Wildcat.

12:30 - 1 p.m.
Break!

1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
The Woman Who Ate Chinatown
Culinary Stage - UA Mall
I haven't read Shirley Fong-Torres' book, but it sounds like something I would do.

Alternatives:
Dry Run: Preventing the Next Urban Water Crisis
UA Bookstore
There are obvious reasons for my interest in this.

Crazy Desert Dudes: Surviving the Southwest
Koffler - Room 204
From what Mitch Tobin told me in an interview early this week, this is about how to incorporate your own desert experiences into your writing and everyone will be talking about their desert adventures.

Books into Movies: Adapting and Being Adapted
Modern Languages - Room 350

2 - 2:30
Wander around, take photos, avoid the E-Reader Experience tent

2:30 - 3:30
Appetite for America: How Fred Harvey Fed America
Culinary Stage - UA Mall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Harvey_(entrepreneur)

Alternatives:
How I Killed Pluto
Mike Brown is an astronomer and the author of "How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming." He discovered Eris, the largest object found in the solar system in 150 years, and the object that led to the debate and eventual demotion of Pluto from a real planet to a dwarf planet. Mike was named one of Time's most influential people of 2006.
Arizona Daily Star Pavilion - UA Mall

Food Writing 101
Integrated Learning Center - Room 135

Physics of Magic
Integrated Learning Center - Room 140

3:30 - 4 p.m.
Break!

4 - 5 p.m.
Future of Publishing
UA Bookstore

Alternatives:
Writing and Publishing Personal Essays
Integrated Learning Center - Room 119

Science Fiction vs. Fantasy vs. Horror: The Ultimate Showdown
Integrated Learning Center - Room 140
The fact that Arizona Public Media's Mark McLemore is moderating this would be worth a visit.

The Locavore Kitchen
Culinary Stage - UA Mall

University of Arizona Asian Music Club, Purple Bamboo Ensemble
Bear Down Entertainment Stage
I didn't know the UA had such a music club. Might be worth catching.

See you there!

Tags: Tucson Festival of Books, literature, business, publishing, food, writing, workshops, cooking, music, astronomy, history, Chinatown, comics, books

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