Author interview - E. Ethelbert Miller

I feel I have no business interviewing poets because the craft is lost on me. I am anxious that everything they say will be deep and I'll be unable to process or decipher what he or she means, thanks to my country bumpkin, community journalism background.

But E. Ethelbert Miller, whom I had a chance to interview last week, was very down to earth. Though still active in social justice issues for African-Americans, he doesn't have traditional Southern African-American roots. His roots are in Barbados and he was raised in the South Bronx before moving to Washington, D.C. for his college studies.

He is a very influential man in American Letters and I liked that he said he feels he should speak up "for people who are not in the room," whether that be an overlooked African-American artist or someone from Utah who is ignored by the New York publishing establishment.

I can't wait to hear his talk here at UHV. Though many give poets the back of their hand, this man's work and advocacy are important, especially in today's ideologue-dominated world.

http://www.uhv.edu/car/newswire/release.asp?id=1004

Aaaaand the other side of the advertising coin....

From the "What were they thinking" category....

Funny/disturbing advertisements.

http://www.businessblogshub.com/2010/11/are-these-the-worst-ads-ever-created/

WaPo iPad commercial

Some will no doubt gripe that the Washington Post "sold out," but this is a charming commercial and one I can relate to, dealing with old lions and new twitterers in the newsroom. Features Bob Woodward and Ben Bradlee. Also makes me want an iPad, but that's still far down the priority list.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/ipad/

Picking fonts - best practices

An inexact, subjective art form, to be sure, but here is a good article for picking fonts for your publication. Some page designers, including many at decent-sized newspapers (ahem, Telegram), give little thought to keeping their look modern, much less arranging the fonts in a way that is appealing.

It's not just picking one or two out of the font menu -- it involves contrast, weight and mood, just to mention a few traits. This article in Smashing Magazine does a great job of explaining what to look for.

Even if you're at a small newspaper, you can give your readers a modern-looking product. Check out this article for help with the fonts, an important part of the recipe for page design.

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/11/04/best-practices-of-combining-typefaces

Author interview - Charles Spurlin - Plus a new press begins

This news release is more about the start of a press here at UHV than it is the author's book, though "Port of Victoria" is certainly an interesting and important part of the history of this place.

I like that the university has begun its own press -- University Press of Victoria. There is an amazing amount of creativity and progressive action toward publishing here, all of it good for the university and the town itself. More plans are in the works for books and literary journals. And today I heard discussion of possible writers' workshops.

A great place to be for readers and scribes.

http://www.uhv.edu/car/newswire/release.asp?id=989