Thanks for the research. Thanks for the thinking. Could you offer up a model for the ID book you are proposing? Is that in your proposal? Is there someone we could follow through the minefield? Can someone hold our hand? Your pioneering spirit is wonderful - and we want to take advantage of any trails that have already been developed. A guide is even better. Uncharted territory you know. Lion, tigers, and bears.
Is there a message/thesis that we are considering for this book? Ought we? I realize multiple authors oughtn't be "controlled" - and I imagine they would appreciate some type of scoping or focus statement.
Ohio ID historians? Dunno. Call Mother: (216) 470-4652. Let me know what you find out. An email to Dan Cuffaro would make sense in a number of ways: "Dan Cuffaro" <dcuffaro@gate.cia.edu>. Now that I think about it, that's a gotta-do item. Try to make him feel like he's in the loop. That's a very good thing.
Henry? Ahhhhh!!!! (man running from the building)
Ray Spillman? I only know of a Ray Spiller. Another question for Mother.
You're great.
Thanks,
Chip
On Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 11:31 PM, Sunny Morton <Sunny@e-mcclellan.com> wrote:
Hi Chip and Gene,I'm leaning more toward the idea of a design/pedagogy book with chapters by several different authors, edited and forewarded by a prominent design historian. (A peer-reviewed book will carry a lot more weight, as Gene well knows from her years as a dr.) Your family could offer resource support from the archives; shouldn't have to offer payment to a tenured prof, but perhaps fund a research trip or two for the editor?Because this book will be written by academicians, we can approach potential writers ourselves. I suggest we start by asking a few prominent design historians who they'd recommend as our editor, and go from there. I'm working on an outline of topics and potential authors. I've been in touch with a couple of people who have interviewed Vik in the past. Marlene Hamaan is willing to send copies of her interview tapes with him. Regina Lee Blaszczyzk interviewed him previously for an award-winning book on the business of design, and will check her files for interview material we can use. She may be interested in writing about him again.I'll be at the CIA library next Tuesday, and maybe Wed., and hope to have a proposal draft ready soon after that. Meanwhile, I'm not aware of any design historians in Cleveland we should consider--are you? CIA is trying to hire one now, according to their website, and Case doesn't appear to have one, and we don't want to get too close to Henry Adams anyway in the Case Art History dept. Do you know differently? I wouldn't want to pass up a perfectly qualified design historian (and Vik fan) in this community if there is one.By the way, I came across a splendid 1985 interview with Ray Spillman about Vik's design career specifically, which addresses some of the questions I've been asking. It's great stuff--do either of you know if it has previously been mined for publication? Did Henry Adams use it? I don't recall it in his sources. It would make fantastic original source material for this book.Out of curiosity (not on paid time), I've been Googling some of these companies Vik worked for (I found a full listing) for which I haven't previously seen products. Lots of interesting stuff, good fodder for a design book.Sunny
