I designed this book as a visual transcript of “So Over The Moon,” the first act of a This American Life episode entitled “The Not-So-Great Unknown” which aired in August of 2018. What struck me about this segment was the interviewee Frank Borman’s indifference towards his space travels. Frank Borman was an astronaut on the Apollo 8 mission but seemed to view his experiences in space as nothing but a normal job. Through this funny, yet heartfelt interview, I was able to understand Borman as a man who reserves his time and energy for his family. As producer David Kestenbaum puts it, “he has a strong preference for the Earth.”
So Over The Moon
Fall 2019
Fall 2019
When visualizing the first portion of this segment, I wanted to depict Borman’s experiences with a certain mundanity that reflected his attitude towards the matter. I made sure to not include any space imagery that would glorify the job too much. The only image of space included is the iconic Earthrise photo taken by William Anders on the Apollo 8 mission. Borman described this as being the most surreal moment—seeing the Earth from space.
By the end of the segment, Borman discusses his family, noting that his wife has been living with Alzeimer's for 9 years. I wanted to position this quiet moment away from space altogether, bringing it into the home instead. The transcript moves to a half sheet, confined within vignetted living room walls. This section radiates warmth—a sharp contrast to the coolness of the former section.
By the end of the segment, Borman discusses his family, noting that his wife has been living with Alzeimer's for 9 years. I wanted to position this quiet moment away from space altogether, bringing it into the home instead. The transcript moves to a half sheet, confined within vignetted living room walls. This section radiates warmth—a sharp contrast to the coolness of the former section.
