A blackout I put at the top of my letter, “Summer Catch-up.” I haven’t done these in a while. Takes a bit to get back into them.
Typewriter interview with James Kochalka
My latest typewriter interview is with cartoonist James Kochalka. It’s fun and light and exactly like his comics.
James has long been an inspiration to me — in the P.S. I mention that James’ sketchbook comic American Elf was on my list of 7 books that helped me learn from my kids. I learned from James the other day that collections of the strip are totally out-of-print — not even available digitally! This is mind-boggling to me, but the publishing industry is what it is. (James runs new strips on his Patreon. My own personal archive can be viewed on my “american elf” Tumblr tag.)
Another fun meta way James and I are connected: I used his book The Cute Manifesto (also out-of-print) as the “dummy” book I made for Steal Like an Artist.
I also own one of James’ “Tiny Paintings.” Meg bought it for me a couple decades ago when we lived in Cleveland. It’s about the only snow I see on a regular basis in Texas…
A sense of lightness
I’ve been trying to go about the summer Friday newsletters with a sense of lightness, the way I make a collage out of scraps in my drawer — I pull out what I’ve saved, push it around until it makes sense (or nonsense), and glue it down. (Hit send.)
Last Friday’s letter was called “The very thing that drove you away,” and began:
Everyone, it seems, is on vacation. My bike gang is on vacation! My bandmates are on vacation! My barber is on vacation! My therapist is on vacation! Heck, you might be even on vacation. One day soon, I, too, will be on vacation, and when I am, I will think of Seneca quoting Socrates in Letters from a Stoic: “How can you wonder your travels do you no good, when you carry yourself with you? You are saddled with the very thing that drove you away.”
Today’s is called “Choose your own Odyssey”:
Will every single item on this week’s list refer, somehow, to The Odyssey? Yes, my friends…
As for the Tuesday letter, I have so many typewriter interviews that have come in, and I think I’m going to run one every week for the next month…
A(nother) conversation with Beth Pickens
Earlier this month I had the pleasure of getting to chat about Don’t Call It Art with art coach Beth Pickens. I started off the conversation by describing the dream I had after seeing Bob Dylan live:
You can watch the whole thing here.
Typewriter interview with Mark Haddon
My most recent typewriter interview — a big hit with readers! — is with author and illustrator Mark Haddon, who said it was the most enjoyable interview he’s ever done and bestowed upon me my new title, “Prince of Analogue.”
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