The Casual Optimist

Books, Design & Culture

May 9, 2013
by Dan
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Some Recent Book Covers of Note

I haven’t posted a lot of book covers recently, so to amend the situation here’s a completely unscientific selection of a few designs that have caught my eye recently: Middle C by William Gass; Design by Gabriele Wilson Sorry Please … Continue reading

December 18, 2012
by Dan
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Favourite Covers of 2012

For the past couple of years now (since Joseph Sullivan put the Book Design Review on ice in fact), I’ve been posting a short list of my favourite covers for books for the year. Now that thing for the New … Continue reading

May 18, 2011
by Dan
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Midweek Miscellany

Juggling — The multi-tasking Charlotte Strick,  art editor of The Paris Review, art director at Faber & Faber and Farrar, Straus & Giroux, and book designer,  interviewed at From The Desk Of… Genre — China Miéville, on his new book … Continue reading

March 16, 2011
by Dan
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Midweek Miscellany

The Analytical Eye — Rick Poyner’s second essay for Design Observer on the visual interpretation of J.G. Ballard examines the work of French artist Peter Klasen: What both Ballard and Klasen share… is a cold, appraising, analytical eye. It’s impossible … Continue reading