Jackets Required: The Second Plane

By Fwis -- Publishers Weekly, 5/1/2008 11:00:00 AM

This is the latest installment in a weekly column by Fwis, a graphic design group that blogs on book jacket design. The Fwis designers judge a recent book by its cover each week on PublishersWeekly.com. 

Title: The Second Plane: September 11: Terror and Boredom
Designers: Peter Mendelsund and Chip Kidd
Author: Martin Amis
Publisher: Knopf

After Falling Man, we're wondering how much longer the weighty symbolism of September 11th will play out; the Twin Towers, likely targeted for their symbolism, have been mixed, matched, designed and manipulated, each time to represent the collective grief of a nation, of families, and of individuals. Amis expresses himself in a fascinating series of chronological essays and stories about the events surrounding that day, and he pulls no punches.

The title is incendiary at best, whereas the subtitle is superior in that it is crass and intriguing; we're glad all the type on the front cover is left the same size. We're also amazed that it was set in white on a light background, at such a small size; a credit to the publisher and the author for allowing the bold, black shapes do all the talking. Their darkening of the sky is an interesting double-play, and only a master craftsman such as Chip Kidd would do such a perfectly subtle job of leaving just a smidgen of cloud in the corner to create texture and depth. Staring up to the sky also implies boredom; these towers are, at this point in time, just a sight for tourists, and we're watching the clouds slowly pass overhead.