Three reasons to attend agIdeas

agIdeas is happening in Melbourne from May 4-7th 2009. With conference presenters including Stephen Banham, Stefan Sagmeister and Tobias Frere-Jones, design workshops and studio visits, it should be a fantastic four days.

Where have you been all my life?

Ditto

Moleskines revisted

I think you're neat, like Helvetica Light!

Roses are red,
Daisies are white,
I think you're neat,
Like Helvetica Light.

Pardon my ignorance,
I should have been coyer,
And checked how to say,
Helvetica Neue!

Thanks to Eye Douche (see comments below) I now have a poem that actually rhymes (sigh!) and has been re-sent to all my Valentines. They will all now also know the correct pronunciation of Neue!

Here's the original post for those who want to see Mrs Eaves' font faux pas:

Despite the fact that Valentine's Day was over a fortnight ago, a little love in general is allowed on any day and if it's a love of type even more so! I forgot to post this earlier, but on February 14th I sent this little poem...

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I think you're neat
Like Helvetica Neue.

In response to this I received...

Letters best read
When printed in blue
The fleurons are pretty
And so are you!

Arial's dead
No matter the hue,
Mrs Eaves still rocks on,
And I dig you too.

Oh you're so sweet,
Like a strawberry lollipop,
I'm your Illustrator,
And you're my Photoshop.

But of course my favourite one, was the least complimentary

Roses are red,
Violets are blue
I think you're boring, overused and cold
Like Courier New.

How lovely.

Reading into The Reader

Yesterday I saw the award-winning film The Reader and – without giving away too much of the film – in one of the most pivotal scenes I couldn't help but find myself jumping into font-identification-mode. Sans...geometric...the ascender of the lowercase 'h' sitting just above cap-line of the 'T'... it's an easy one...Futura. Futura Medium(1927) for the title and I'm guessing the lighter weight body-text is perhaps Futura Book (1932)?

The novel is Anton Chekhov's The Lady with the Dog (referred to in the film as The Lady with the Little Dog). It was published in 1899 with the first translation from Russian to English published in 1903. So obviously it's not intended to be the original English version (pre-Futura-era!) but one between this and the latest editions released in the Penguin Classics series. Anyone have more insight?

The book covers (Michael's and Hanna's copy each slightly different) may have been made as a variation of the actual copies, specifically for the film?

It is an amazing film but I think I can safely say that for the five minutes following this scene, my mind was occupied elsewhere.