Hello! And welcome to Jacob All Trades – an email newsletter I write 2-3 times a month (sometimes even less) about pop culture, art, design, politics, and more.
This email is a round up of some of the segments you can expect. It's a bit long (the normal ones are about 1/4 the length) but think of it like a digital magazine. Skip around and find the couple things you're interested in.
If you like what you read, don't do anything, I've subscribed you. If you don't want to get these emails, just unsubscribe at the bottom. No hard feelings.
Hope everything in your life is going great and thanks for reading!
– Jacob
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A Prestige Drama About The Black Spies Of The Civil War. As I mentioned last week, one of my favorite podcasts, Uncivil, just came back for Season 2.
Uncivil is a history podcast from Gimlet that 'brings you stories that were left out of the official history of the Civil War, ransacks America's past, and takes on the history you grew up with. We bring you untold stories about resistance, covert operations, corruption, mutiny, counterfeiting, antebellum drones, and so much more. And we connect these forgotten struggles to the political battlefield we’re living on right now. The story of the Civil War — the story of slavery, Confederate monuments, racism — is the story of America.'
It covers a lot of ground, but some of my favorite episodes profile the freed and enslaved men and women who risked their lives to spy for the Union while going undercover as slaves.
Human drama, another time period, espionage – sounds like the makings of a great tv show. One that, based in historical fact, also educates us about the untold heroes of the Civil War.
If you haven't listened to Uncivil, you should – and, I'd start with the Peabody Award-winning episode: The Raid. In which, "a group of ex-farmers, a terrorist from Kansas, and a schoolteacher attempt the greatest covert operation of the Civil War."
Remember when the Game Of Thrones showrunners announced (to understandable backlash) a new show where the South won and slavery still exists? Why create an imagined reality when the one that actually happened has so many fascinating narratives that have yet to be dramatized?
To do the eye-rolly Hollywood thing of using existing things to pitch a high concept thing: It's The Americans meets Handmaids Taleset during Django Unchained. And, btw, Uncivil would be a great name for the show. Whadya think?
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This fascinating (and grim) article from Longreads discusses how Atlantic City could become "a global hub for climate science, casinos gradually replaced with laboratories."
"There's no doubt that Atlantic City is going under. The only question left is: Can an entire city donate its body to science?"
Beautiful, museum worth illustrations by Matt Chinworth.
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Nearly every issue of Jacob All Trades has a round up of interesting things I've read, watched or listened to recently. Here are a couple of my favorites:
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Hot damn do I love this George Washington Carver sketch from The Astronomy Club. Rarely do you see textbook game and heightening combined with great acting. Throw in the fact that it actually teaches you about science (and specifically Black inventors). I'm beside myself with peanut butter and jealousy.
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George Washington Carver, by The Astronomy Club.
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Every newsletter has at least one suggestion of a way you can take action to make a difference in the world. Here are 5 of my favorites from recent newsletters:
- Ditch Mitch. One of the most instrumental figures in creating gridlock in Congress and normalizing Trump is Mitch McConnell. Donate what you can to his eventual challenger in 2020 via the Ditch Mitch Fund.
- Donate to KIND (Kids In Need of Defense) which helps ensure no child appears in immigration court without high quality legal representation. Donate here.
- Stop Gerrymandering. Eric Holder's All On The Line has identified 10 states where stopping gerrymandering is crucial; your donations and action can help.
- Save The Internet. Make a recurring donation to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and defend civil liberties in the digital world.
- Write To Register Voters Swing Left did some great organizing in the 2018 election, and they're a great org to support. Check out the Swing Left Super State Strategy here.
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Let's take a minute to talk about Didone typefaces because I've seen them pop up on three (beautifully designed) book covers recently and I'm wondering if it's part of a trend.
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Lindsey Stanberry's Money Diaries, Erin Gibson's Feminasty, and Lisa Brennan-Jobs' Small Fry.
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Didot – the typeface that exemplifies the Didone style seen on all three treatments above – was designed by heavyweight foundry Hoefler & Frere-Jones in 1991 as part of a re-design for Harper's Bazaar.
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Yes... that is the top of Andie MacDowell's 1991 noggin
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But, as the HFJ write up continues, it's history goes back much further... the 'modernist' style as it's also called was perfected in the late 18th century by two typographers: "in Parma, Giambattista Bodoni (1740-1813), and in Paris, Firmin Didot (1764-1836). Didot was a member of the Parisian dynasty that dominated French typefounding for two centuries, and he’s remembered today as the namesake of a series of Neoclassical typefaces that exquisitely captured the Modern style."
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Didone typefaces have a sophisticated and modern feel and can be recognized at a glance by flat, unbracketed serifs and a combination of thick and thin strokes. A more detailed history is available here.
(Btw, the story of how Hoefler & Frere-Jones broke up is one of the most epic 'divorces' in the design world. Read it here.)
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Do you already know about Libby? The Library App? If not, HOLY SHIT. It has changed my life.
All you need is a library card, and you can use Libby to digitally borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and graphic novels. Of course, you can also use it to put a hold on books at your local library.
I'm an avid audiobook listener, and I've traded in my costly Audible subscription for Libby. There are only a certain number of copies of each audiobook (remember, it is a library) so you may have to join a waiting list, but it's all 100% FREE.
I used Libby to listen to Amy Poehler read Yes, Please while on our road trip in Ireland. Highly recommend!
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About a month ago I started an Instagram called Found Foundry where I highlight interesting typography I see in alphabetical order. Check it out if that's your kinda thing!
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Thanks for reading this intro/best of edition! If you liked it, don't do anything – you'll get a new edition in your inbox every 1-2 weeks. If you didn't like it, you can unsubscribe below, but let's still be friends and hang out soon!
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