a lifelong,
muthafucking,
Clyde Frazier-idolizing,
Checker cab riding,
subway-mugging,
dogshit-avoiding,
Nedick's-slurping
New Yorker,
"New York" magazine courses through your very corpuscles.
About three days ago, I read of a new book co-authored by Walter Bernard and Milton Glaser. With a forward by Gloria Steinem. It's called "MAG MEN: Fifty Years of Making Magazines." I ordered three copies of the book for myself and some friends before I took my next breath. You should too.
To be fair, which I seldom am, you don't have to be a New Yorker to need this book.
You need it if you care about writing.
You need it if you care about design.
You need it if you care about communication meant to have an impact.
You need it if you care about being a human.
I had the great good fortune a decade ago to work on a pro-bono ad one-on-one with Mr. Glaser.
My sense after spending 60-minutes sitting at his table--working--was 'here is a wise man. A curious man. A funny man. A human man. A passionate, restless man.'
Those qualities are all here in this book in abundance.
Also on display in words and pictures are thoughtfulness and craft. Without the bombast and pomposity that afflicts so many people today in every walk of life.
I especially liked the opening spread, reproduced below. Quotations from people who hated his various designs throughout the years.
One of the things I've noticed about the really great people in our industry--or any creative industry for that matter--is they accept that doing work they like often involves doing work other people despise. You might as well relish that. It's the price of being different. It's the price of trying. It's a cheap price at that.
As we near the end of this calamitous year, when the planet got hotter and our hopes for the future darkened, I'm busier than ever. I have more things to do and more people pulling at at least four of my five limbs.
So I'll cut this short.
Just two more pages I copied from MAG MEN that handed me a laugh and a smile and maybe made me think. I realize they're both pretty Jewish. But at least the type on this blog reads from left to right.
Who says I'm not assimilated?
Even though, I'd buy tickets from a scalper to attend the Pastrami Olympics. Wouldn't you?
--
BONUS SECTION:
Some of the "Best Designed Books of 2019," with no commentary from me. From here.
No comments:
Post a Comment