Monday, July 25, 2005

The Book Guys

Despite the current 106 degree misery (fucking humidity), I couldn't stay at home any more. I'm at the coffee shop. (I found that I had enough credit on my customer loyalty card for a couple of drinks yet.) There are these two really handsome guys (handsome to my geek-lovin' eyes) sitting at a nearby table. One, it turns out, is a publisher, and the other one is a designer, and they're putting a book together. While I haven't been actively trying to eavesdrop, they're having such an animated conversation, I can't help but overhear. They're so excited about this book, discussing the binding, the cover, the paper, debating an image on the title page. I know it's just something small, repeated all over the world every day, but it's so neat to watch a creative process unfold.

It's why I'm envious of people like the Sasquatch and the Atomic Editor and Manda and many others, who create and edit and shape things that then fill and stimulate the brains of other people. What a really, really neat thing. I know I've just oversimplified everything to the Nth degree, but I still think it's utterly cool.

Except the two book guys are now discussing how "totally hot" the author of the book is. They're checking out her pictures online.

So much for the purity of the creative process...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Amen. I envy that creative process too!

...and yes, I am feeling GUILTY here in the Pacific Northwest... it hasn't rained for days and days, so we are enjoying plenty of sunshine and a very pleasing 74°F.

For once, I am thankful to be where I am. Please take care and stay hydrated!

SJL