Oh cover

Cole Swensen’s collection of poems evokes the sound of the lyrics and music on a static, printed page. The poet recalled seeing this image many years ago—a stoic man in a tuxedo, conducting the oncoming tide of the sea—and thought it would echo the tone of her poems. The main challenge was tracking down the photographer, who is retired and lives in Poland. In the design, I wanted to play off the idea of horizon. The type is positioned staccato across the division of the cover, like a pause between two notes. I am most happy with the subtlety of the sand-colored tint on the cover.