Encouragement and a Bit of Relief

My friend, Myles Fuchs, responded to my Linked In announcement of intention with this wonderful encouragement (and, subtle pressure):

"I have a comp book that Roger Black prepared for American Business Media an early Web start-up. Real "media history." Your agent is right. Write fast while those of us who were around and care are still around to read it. I'll have Pixel-Mags do an iPad version.

xoxo"

Thank you, Myles. I had the idea of this book Tuesday a week ago. I have not written the book yet, have to dive into ALL the research, do not have a print publisher yet, have not even yet written a book proposal; but, I have an I-Pad publisher! Do I ever have the BEST, most supportive, friends in the world!!!

I think, though, that this younger generation still has people who care about typography history. Yesterday, I spent a delightful hour on the phone with Randall Hoyt. Randall assuaged my fears about at least one of the "visitors" to Mike's apartment. Randall is a 1990 Yale graduate of the Design School. He has been interviewing YALE alumni leaders and luminaries of the Typography field for a documentary about Yale's Graphic Design School. Yale's influence throughout the US educational system, indeed the world's, is undeniable. He and I traded stories about Alvin Eisenman, Matthew Carter, Gillet Griffin, Tobias Frere-Jones among others. Randall is recognizing Mike as an essential catalyst in many of the great designers' careers, as well as a superb designer in his own right. He is interviewing so many designers that Mike's portion-as with the others-may be less than five minutes run time. Five minutes was about the length of Mike's appearance in the documentary, HELVETICA. Like any good interviewer, Randall is spending four to eight hours with each subject to get a few minutes of air time. Randall and his collaborators hope to have the film in the can by Christmas 2010. I asked him if I could meet and talk with him about my book. Randall agreed. I will have a road trip to Connecticut as soon as my recovering will allow me to bear the Amtrak ride. A Fear changed into a Gem overnight.

Well, I am noticing I seem to have no control over the typefaces on this blog. They are shifting on me constantly. I have to get a handle on that. Challenges, Challenges.