Through Lines 282

Jeff Tweedy’s latest triple album, Twilight Override has been a slow burn for me. I’ve made a point to not listen to the whole thing in sequence and instead dip in and out of individual tracks. Enough is just one of many standout tracks for me. Jeff and band also dropped into World Cafe for a live session and interview as well.

Art & Design

  • Brian Henning’s work on H&Co.’s Discover Typography site brought type to life like no one else had done. It deftly illustrated the depth and versatility of the foundry’s fonts. Lucky for us, he’s archived it and shared details about its history on his own site.
  • Speaking of H&Co’s fonts, Doug Wilson and Tobias Frere-Jones capture the origins of Gotham, perhaps the foundry’s most instantly recognizable type family.
  • If you’re looking for a last-minute design book for someone you know, Hybrid: Curiosity in All Things, a monograph of the San Francisco design studio, would be an excellent choice. I have the black edition and it’s a beautiful beast of a book.
  • Lynn Rennie’s Drawn to Canada project beautifully encompasses national identity through many of the recognizable objects, people, and symbols of the country.
  • Every year, my favorite printer, Hemlock produces a very special set of holiday gift wrap. The 2025 edition created in partnership with Asimov Collective is as much art in its own right as it might be wrapping paper.
  • The vision for the future Eames Institute Museum in Novato, CA makes me think it’ll be worth the drive north for regular visits.
  • Zara Picken’s Modern Illustration archives her personal collection of print ephemera showcasing the pioneering work of early commercial illustrators circa 1950–1975.
  • I’m watching with curiosity as Aphera, a new indie photo editor for the Mac inches towards release.

Type of Note

  • It’s hard to argue with Asura’s description of itself as a feral, free-flowing display typeface that mixes poster-era elegance with a hint of delightful chaos. Legibility be damned.
  • The lack of overshoots gives Horizontype a particular vibe, and blending that with internal tension and its clipped terminals and diagonals and you get something fresh that comes in both standard and mono variants of the design.
  • AM Impero reinvents a classic Art Déco style geometric sans serif with strong thick/thin contrast and occasionally unusual curve choices while staying true to its historical origins.
  • Also from CAST is Vittoria, a distinctive condensed all-caps geometric sans also in the Art Déco style. The almond-shaped bowls and sensuous curves give it a timely and elegant look.
  • ABC Camera is the Swiss cheese of fonts, re-interpreting the idea of light traps as a visual feature by scaling them up substantially within its soft rounded letterforms.
  • Mastermind’s condensed shapes and cozy flared serifs are full of subtle flair and chock full of nostalgic charm — through the lens of practical and contemporary sensibilities.
  • Honorable mention to Cockpit from Feliciano Type, ATF Super Condensed, Blot from Briefcase Type, and an early release of Path Grotesk by Typeji on Future Fonts.
  • Also, because its been in the news lately, a brief history of Times New Roman from Matthew Butterick.

Technology

Music & Film

Humanities

  • Stephen Fry has launched a campaign to gather recommendations to entice even the most reluctant readers. If the UK considers this a problem, I have to imagine the decline in the US is vastly greater. What’s the best book you’ve read in the last year?

One More Thing

  • A holiday challenge: do one thing for yourself that brings you a moment of calm or joy. Make something. Take the first step to learn a new skill. Visit a local gallery or museum. Read a book you’ve ignored for months. Go for a hike in nature and listen to the birds.

It’s nice to be on vacation for a couple weeks after fighting off a nasty cold. It’s nice to be able to disconnect, relax, recalibrate and to get some focused time to hopefully wrap up a couple of projects before diving back into work in the new year — and of course to spend time with family and friends. I’m off to spend some time in the studio today, but wishing you a very happy holidays!