Helvetica, a 2007 film, looks at the history of this now-ubiquitous font, from its classical modernist roots in 1957 Switzerland to contemporary American billboards. Originally designed to be neutral, fonts have taken on new weight. New designers follow font trends, believing that the font in itself says something. There is even a Font Bureau for particularly interested designers willing to cough up some cash for an unusually unique serif. The largest independent directory of typefaces can be found here, or a more intellectual analysis of fonts from Typotheque. (And why do any fonts cut from the Internet translate to the hideous Lucida Grande?)
Font Factor
M. Rebekah Otto
M. Rebekah Otto lives in Berkeley, CA. She grew up in Chicago. Her current interests include her new nine-to-five, vintage wallpaper, and Evan S. Connell. Also, she's the former Books Editor of the Rumpus.