Interviewer: Mr. Baskerville, thank you for joining us. You’re looking… sharp. Very high-contrast today.
Baskerville: [adjusts his serifs] Please, call me John. And yes, the contrast is intentional. If you’re going to be looked at for centuries, you learn exactly how to show up.
Interviewer: You’ve been around since the 1750s. Most things from that era are archived. You’re still getting picked. How?
Baskerville: Experience. And a well placed admirer or two.
Interviewer: That sounds vague.
Baskerville: Benjamin Franklin, for one. Came to see my work, liked what he saw, and decided to take me back to America. Next thing I know, I’m showing up in federal printing. Not bad for someone “outdated.”
Interviewer: That’s a serious co-sign.
Baskerville: I keep good company.
Interviewer: You were recently chosen for a historical drama. Why you?
Baskerville: Let me ask you something. If your story is set centuries ago, why would you ever make it look modern?”
Interviewer: So it comes down to looks?
Baskerville: Always. You see me, and you already expect a story with history in it. Something slow, something deliberate. Not something that feels hurried or unfinished.
Interviewer: You sound very sure of yourself.
Baskerville: I’ve had time to be.
Interviewer: There are a lot of louder typefaces right now.
Baskerville: I’ve seen them. Very busy. Very determined to be noticed.
Interviewer: Not your approach?
Baskerville: I don’t chase attention. If I’m there, there’s usually a reason.
Interviewer: That’s a strong position.
Baskerville: It saves time.
Interviewer: Any advice for authors choosing a typeface?
Baskerville: Stop treating it like decoration. Consider what feels right for the story. You’re not decorating a book, you’re setting a tone. Get that wrong and everything after it has to work twice as hard.
Interviewer: Last question. What do you think when you see a badly designed cover?
Baskerville: [pauses] “They’ll fix it on the next edition.”
Interviewer: oh…… Alright then. We’ll let you get back to work.
Baskerville: Please do. Someone just tried to pair me with a drop shadow. I need to intervene.