"The Time Around Scars" by Michael Ondaatje (poetry reading)

The painting is "Adam and Eve are Banished from Paradise", 1960, by Marc Chagall, (18871985)

The girl is Violante (La Bella Gatta) by Titian c. 1514 - no particular reason , apart from the look on her face.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Time
• Around
• Scars
• Michael
• Ondaatje

[crywalt]

These are so beautifully read. A true treasure, given freely -- so wonderful to listen to.

Then I open my eyes and I see Comic Sans Serif. Please don't belittle these wonderful poems with that bastard, crippled typeface.

[SpokenVerse]

I kind of like it. No disrespect to the poem is intended. It looks informal, like hand lettering, and it's very readable, too.

Thank you for your compliments, your positive feedback is most rewarding.

[crywalt]

Of course you couldn't be expected to be a typeface nut -- your skills are concentrated in other areas. And good that they are! Beautiful poetry reading is more important.

But Comic Sans is an insult to the venerable craft of type design. I'm sure you could find something better at Blambot, for example.

But I'm picking nits, which I shouldn't. Surely you've put enough time into this without worrying about fonts. Just keep the excellent readings coming, that's the main thing. Really, thank you.

[SpokenVerse]

So I don't have the artistic sensibility it takes to pick a font. I'll try to live with it.

[SpokenVerse]

crywalt, actually I think you're right about the font. In future I'll try to match the mood of the poem better, using Comic SS for lighter poems only.

Thank you for your well-meant advice.

[crywalt]

"Tom," Mr. SpokenVerse, I hope you do know I meant the advice positively. I don't go around complaining to everyone. I only say something when the work is so great it's almost perfect -- I want it to be the absolute best it can be. Not for me but for the world. Because your efforts deserve the best. If your readings weren't so wonderful I wouldn't care about the font.

[crywalt]

I could work up some versions with a better typeface, as suggested by spit98 up there. I am willing to put back in to the stone soup. I'm just not sure my version would be useful to anyone except as an example.

[riverwild9808]

Beautiful! And the reading just brought it to the highest of highs.

[rosesredvioletsblue]

Beautiful poetry! Thank you!

[obrienftw]

I never knew Michael Ondaatje did poems, but I think I might buy one of his collections tomorrow after hearing this.

[spit98]

Next time, maybe crywait can show his appreciation by posting up a version annotated with his font of choice, or even link to examples and make a good faith effort to convince you instead of carping.

Or just have the decency to understand that free culture is like stone soup -- no matter how much you complain about the taste, it won't get better unless you put something in the pot.

I just spent the past two hours watching your posts. All I can say is thank you, and well done.

[Piecesof8]

Perhaps I'm speaking out of ignorance, but I think the typeface of choice is insignificant in a poetry reading video when they're this well read. If you went with wingdings, I wouldn't care a bit.

But then, I'm not a typeface nut either.