Check out this interview with Random House’s Peter Mendelsund. I’ll spoil the ending: all it takes to make it in the industry is to have no background or experience, and just be totally amazing. Also visit his portfolio, which includes some rejected efforts.
I like the concept and execution (except for that blue across the top). These types of altered-book-on-the-cover covers seem appropriate for metafictive authors-Paul Auster, William Gass, John Barth, etc.-who like to draw attention to the devices of writing and who often play games with the relationship between fiction and reality. I haven’t read McGrath (though I was terribly disappointed in Cronenberg’s adaptation of Spider), but I do know he likes to employ unreliable narrators, a tale-tale sign that his fiction might fall into the “postmodern” camp. I’m betting this cover befits the story.
looks cool and intense. Torn paper—have we not seen this one too many times? I know I’ve done it. Anyone else want to raise their hand?
I especially like the fact that the spine is all cracked and ripped open revealing the mesh.
I love Peters work. Very abstract and as the interview says: Leaves a lot to the imagination.
I have to say—it is a real treat to get some of the titles he has gotten to work on. The doors of possibility open and then to couple it all with a stellar publisher like Knopf—what more can you ask for??? Sounds like fun. Not work.
What I do like to hear is that it’s just as much a pain in the ass for the lucky (if you can call it that) few as it is for the rest of us working on truly shit projects that get diluted to the most basic, uninspired crap that makes you feel sorry for a tree…
Check out this interview with Random House’s Peter Mendelsund. I’ll spoil the ending: all it takes to make it in the industry is to have no background or experience, and just be totally amazing. Also visit his portfolio, which includes some rejected efforts.
vis a vis Kottke and Books Covered
— Eric Jacobsen, 2008-02-16 21:38:00
I like the concept and execution (except for that blue across the top). These types of altered-book-on-the-cover covers seem appropriate for metafictive authors-
Paul Auster, William Gass, John Barth, etc.-who like to draw attention to the devices of writing and who often play games with the relationship between fiction and reality. I haven’t read McGrath (though I was terribly disappointed in Cronenberg’s adaptation of Spider), but I do know he likes to employ unreliable narrators, a tale-tale sign that his fiction might fall into the “postmodern” camp. I’m betting this cover befits the story.— PF, 2008-02-17 17:13:00
looks cool and intense. Torn paper—have we not seen this one too many times? I know I’ve done it. Anyone else want to raise their hand?
I especially like the fact that the spine is all cracked and ripped open revealing the mesh.
I love Peters work. Very abstract and as the interview says: Leaves a lot to the imagination.
I have to say—it is a real treat to get some of the titles he has gotten to work on. The doors of possibility open and then to couple it all with a stellar publisher like Knopf—what more can you ask for??? Sounds like fun. Not work.
What I do like to hear is that it’s just as much a pain in the ass for the lucky (if you can call it that) few as it is for the rest of us working on truly shit projects that get diluted to the most basic, uninspired crap that makes you feel sorry for a tree…
I think I’m gonna hug one right now…
— Ian Shimkoviak, 2008-02-18 11:20:00
Great interview with Peter Mendelsund – nice cover too!
— David Drummond, 2008-02-19 09:06:00
With the exception of the blue on the top, I think this cover is quite stunning.
m welch
— m welch, 2008-02-21 18:13:00
I like it—kinda—but the cover-on-cover action is getting as stale as Helvetica.
— C-Dog, 2008-03-05 14:56:00
This one is very nice, but I agree with an earlier post, the blue line on the top doesn’t fit or add anything relevant to the image…
— Adrianna. L, 2008-04-24 03:33:00