Memoirs, Biographies, etc.
The design of covers of memoirs and biographies usually bore me to tears. To wit:
I couldn't care less if this is evocative of the time and place from which Harper Lee wrote and lived; I'm bored.
Compare to the new Anderson Cooper memoir, designed by Chip Kidd:
Kidd was recently blogging over at powells.com; check out what he says about this jacket.
6 comments:
OK, so who am I to knock Chip Kidd?
Well, as he says in the blog it's a no brainer and the CNN-tape author's name is just great, a real eyecatcher. Alas, it goes downhill below that. The fire (it's about war, getit?) is way too simple and the title font proper is quite boring compared to the author's name. And, hey, there's a subtitle. Where's my magnifing glas... The cover is great in the upper half and falls apart below. Sorry, Mr. Kidd.
I kinda get the feeling that Mr. Cooper is turning his back on the little boy on the ground. Mean ol' Mr. Cooper.
Overall, though, I really just don't think this works well as a jacket. It's like three separate designs instead of one unit.
I love the Harper Lee cover.
I'm bored by the Anderson Cooper cover.
And that's what makes horse races, I guess.
It could be said: the Anderson Cooper cover is also evocative of the time + place in which he resides. It's relative. That said, even if "Mockingbird" is boring in comparison, this does seem like apples vs. oranges
(in which the oranges are more exciting)
Perhaps things would have turned out differently if the Harper Lee bio had been called "To Kill"
I agree with martin.
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