Alright, this is my first go at notating the highlights of my month. I really hope this is something I’ll stick with, mostly because it gives me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction to be able to look back and say look at all those things I did. I’m still experimenting with format, so there’s a good chance future installments might look nothing like this.

Events & Places

  • I visited quite a few restaurants (including revolving sushi!) and ate indoors for the first time since the pandemic began. But with the Delta variant on the rise, it seems this freedom is already fading.
  • Classic Movie Night: High and Low
  • Jacob’s Well
  • Swimming at Lake Travis
  • Butler School of Music Virtual Concert Series
  • My office! – We’ve been waiting a looong time to start actually working in our fancy new space at ACC’s brand new Highland Campus. It’s good to get in there at least a little bit, even if we won’t be doing much work there for a while.

Blogposts

Books

  • Henry VI Part III by William Shakespeare
  • Invisible Kingdom Vol. 1 by Willow G. Winslow ★★☆☆☆
  • Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider Vol. 1 by Seanan McGuire ★★☆☆☆
  • Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy ★★★★☆
  • The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green ★★★★☆
  • Letterforms: Typeface Design from Past to Future by Timothy Samara ★★★★☆
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle (read by Stephen Fry) ★★★★☆

This month, in addition to my ongoing Shakespeare projects and other assorted reading, I finished up reading the last of the comics nominated for the Best Graphic Story Hugo Award this year. All-in-all, it’s a pretty disappointing crop. I think I’ll cast my vote for the adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, with a second ranking going to Volume 5 of Monstress, which I read last month. It’s kind of a shame for the award to go to an adaptation rather than an original story, but it really is the best of the lot.

Films

  • The 39 Steps This is one of those old films that is probably less enjoyable now because we’ve seen so many of the subsequent movies it inspired.
  • Demolition Man This rewatch confirmed that this film that doesn’t quite live up to the Paul Verhoeven movies it emulates, but it’s still a lot of fun.
  • High and Low Akira Kurisowa’s classic about kidnapping and class still feels fresh and relevant a half century later.
  • The Odd Couple Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon are funny and charming in this delightful adaptation from the stage.
  • Whisper of the Heart Continuing my Studio Ghibli watching project, this film doesn’t disappoint. It’s more grounded and less fantastical than most of the other Ghibli movies, but the lyricism and soul is there aplenty.
  • The Princess Bride (~millionth watch)

Projects

  • This website: Rolled out light mode and an About section on the home page
  • Spent some time narrowing down typeface options for a visual refresh of Rust and Moth
  • Rust and Moth Autumn 2021 cover design