tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004423696675838467.post7437498832031310343..comments2024-03-14T02:24:22.876-07:00Comments on Essay Daily: Talk About the Essay: on Design and Ninth Letter and April FreelyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004423696675838467.post-19399334623160523822011-02-22T09:48:51.739-08:002011-02-22T09:48:51.739-08:00I'm so happy to hear you criticize an unnecess...I'm so happy to hear you criticize an unnecessarily difficult to read structure. While I love your essays, in general I am not a fan of alternate structures, and I think it is because they are often a substitute for excellent writing, like displaying a mediocre painting in an 18th century gilt frame. I think a piece of writing should have beauty and value when it is in a simple text format before it can be used in a more avant-garde format. <br /><br />Also, I think one can do so much with just words, and I don't want that thrill of infinite creative possibilities to be devalued. <br /><br />On the other hand, I support experimentation, and I wouldn't want people to stop taking risks just because many of them will fail (it's the nature of experimentation). And even if I don't personally enjoy alternate structures, I applaud their existence. As long as they don't overshadow the writing itself.Emily J.http://onessays.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004423696675838467.post-7435781823969910032010-01-28T10:40:34.225-08:002010-01-28T10:40:34.225-08:00Both times they've published my work they ran ...Both times they've published my work they ran the design by me (somewhat). I don't remember actually seeing how they did the Failure essay, though they asked me if the microfilm thing was okay (it was). I didn't love love the font choice they used in the pdf, but I don't think I actually saw a galley of it. Or maybe I did. The way they usually roll, though, is that their art/design MFA students are given pieces to design. Possibly they choose their own (I imagine their editors have talked about the process before) based on what excites them (this would be preferable). But the design comes entirely from the designer's vision of the work (not, to my knowledge, from the writer's). Same with Born Magazine, bornmag.com, I'd add. Though Born does multimedia so the finished product is more collaborative. I do know that the Ninth Letter editors do get the final call on design decisions. <br /><br />With my story ("Deciduousness") in the new issue the designer ran a couple drafts by me, and I had a little more input. Though in this case the story was already designed pretty substantially on the page when I sent it to them, so they stripped those elements out and redesigned it, so it's an entirely different thing in the magazine. I like what they did with it, but I'm also partial to my version of it, which will probably find print eventually, so both will exist.<br /><br />Let me be clear: I think it's better when design decisions come from the writer, not the designer, but that only works when the writer has sufficient mastery of design and layout (which is not *all* that often), and a good enough eye to be able to tell what works and what does not. Graphic novelists/essayists that do their own drawing and writing are a good example of the successful fusion. And I certainly think more of this is going to happen as the tools of design become cheaper, easier to use, and generally mainstreamed.Anderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13162102610439637214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004423696675838467.post-58049104825564504942010-01-27T08:40:44.144-08:002010-01-27T08:40:44.144-08:00Well said. We just ran a contest for experimental ...Well said. We just ran a contest for experimental essays, and I can't even begin to tell you how many people don't think about how weird layouts/font choices affect a reader's approach to the work. Unnecessary design choices (shifting fonts, etc) tend to put me off more than draw me in.<br /><br />Just out of curiosity, did you have any kind of input regarding the design of your essay in Ninth Letter? I'm curious if their layout work is part of the writer's vision or if it's based on some graphic designer's reaction to the work.dleghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09480752698054172227noreply@blogger.com