Robert Bringhurst visited Edmonton and gave a free talk on the pleasure of type.

A little pompous, but interesting in a philosophical way.

Going from Arabic to Latin penstrokes. The talk starts to to get interesting when considering what typographers did to cursive to simplify the letterforms.

Next a study of Latin (Cicero) and cramming the letters together for the sake of conserving papyrus vs. the 9th century version that emphasizes the pacing of the oral text. Thus typography and the scribe’s job becomes the representation of oratory.

Rhetorical and oratory vs editorial.

A Navaho story broken in 4 parts with sub parts and an epilogue represented vs a more linear representation of the same story.

But the linear version is more representative of the ebook of the future with no page breaks, endnotes, footnotes etc.

The relationship between the hand and the word. Writing is drawing. We now drive instead of walking but can we forsake the skill of walking. Inevitabley we must collapse upon ourselves and relearn the skill of the hand.

Or so Robert Bringhust posits…

Edward Albee. Studio Theatre. I am here.

So here I am at the theatre waiting for the show to begin. Hopefully it will be everything one would expect from a classic. I am ashamed to say I have seen very little of these classics plays. I guess you have to choose between the new works and the old ones.

Act1. Pretty damn good. Albee lives up to his reputation.

Act2. Muthafucker

Act3. There is no whale!

Conclusion: Albee kicks ass.

— Post From My iPod