La Tinaja

Links

• 2015 is the year the old internet finally died—Todd VanDerWerff—Vox: The tension VanDerWerff describes here between writing that is rewarding work for the writer and writing (and perhaps not even writing but other content) that works through the mediation of social media networks has been on my mind a lot recently as we start a new project. I plan to revisit this more over the course of the week and to write about it.
• The Unbreakable Rebecca Black—Reggie Ugwu—Buzzfeed: Coincidentally another of the most interesting things I read this week was a profile of a celebrity of sorts made on this “new internet”. One of the most interesting tensions of the Rebecca Black story for me is the tension between very old-fashioned music industry exploitation and a viral celebrity that was a bit too early to provide opportunity. I am also always a sucker for unexpected empathy opportunities.
• The Rehabilitation of Tom Cruise—Stacy Elaine Dacheux—The Awl: Speaking of unexpected empathy, this interview with Amy Nicholson about her new book, Tom Cruise: Anatomy of an Actor, was a pretty fascinating exploration of the relationship of the person of Tom Cruise, to the media entity of Tom Cruise, to the movie industry, and to the public. I am curious to read the book and to explore Nicholson’s argument a bit more.

Books

• Jason Santa Maria. On Web Typography. New York: A Book Apart, 2014.

  I have read a lot about typography and have an interest in trying to use it well. I am frequently frustrated, however, to see things I make come together in a way I don’t like, but lack the pracitical vocabulary to articulate. Santa Maria’s book mostly operates at a high level; there are very few tips and tracks. However, that high level discussion is pervaded by examples in the form of asides on technical vocabulary and practical rules of thumb that provide just the kind of bridge between theory and practice that I have lacked to this point.

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