Why did you accept the invitation to design the Spring 2024 edition of All-Story?
Why wouldn’t I? All previous guest designers are people I respect and admire so much, so to be in the company of such legends was the ultimate compliment! I also thought it would be so special to have this journal featuring artists and photographers whom I’ve worked with and who are such an inspiration to me. To have an actual physical publication of it was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.
Were there any surprises in the design process?
Not really. The process went pretty smoothly. Maybe the surprise was that I thought it would be much more difficult to collect photos and artwork from the various people who contributed. All the artists who drew or painted images specifically for the magazine did it pretty quickly, and I’m so grateful for that!
Any challenges?
I think the biggest challenge was narrowing down the images, as there are so many that I love.
Might you offer any advice to future designers?
Go off of your intuition and don’t overthink it. Choose things that are personal and reflect your inner self, as that’s what makes the issue so interesting and special (like you!) and sets it apart from the others.
What’s inspiring you of late?
Visual: The folk art collection of Alexander Girard at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe.
Musical: Any music released between 1979 and 1981—it’s kind of a great fusion of disco, post-punk, synth-pop, and electronic music. Some of my favorite music is from those years. I sometimes buy records by bands I’ve never heard of from that era, and they’re usually good. I’ve also been listening to music for cats, which we’ve been playing to our cats to see if they react. I think it does soothe them.
Textual: Miranda July’s new book, All Fours.