What makes a font good or bad (I’m looking at you, Wingdings and Comic Sans)? How was the Wu-Tang Clan essentially the British Parliament of hip-hop? And what the heck did ancient Romans eat and drink, and were there really vomitoriums? Get to Nerd Nite NYC on Saturday April 15, 2023 for its final show until September. Summer break starts early this year! Tickets here: https://littlefieldnyc.com/event/?wfea_eb_id=566748830007

Saturday April 15, 2023
Presentations-only at 8pm (doors at 7pm)
Littlefield: 635 Sackett Street, Brooklyn (Park Slope/Gowanus)
Tickets here: https://littlefieldnyc.com/event/?wfea_eb_id=566748830007

Back to the Lectures At-Hand
*Presentation #1
Typography 101: From QWERTY to the Quick Brown Fox
by Andrea J. Wang

Description: What makes a “bad” font? What is Wingdings code for? What’s the difference between tracking and kerning? How can the average person start to talk about fonts, and why even care? Letters are the designed objects we interact with the most. I’ll give a quick rundown on type history: its development from the written hand to print to the digital form; give you a process to analyze type with a more critical eye; and address the elephant in the room, Comic sans. If you’ve ever nursed a strong font resentment but was unable to articulate why, or picked a date spot solely due to the well-typeset drinks menu– this talk is for you!

Bio: Andrea loves working with type as a graphic designer at NowThis News, and former design fellow at the Center For Urban Pedagogy. In her spare time, you can find her making prints at the SVA RisoLab and doing stand-up comedy—including running a recurring comedy show “Lychee Martini” centering Asian female performers. Find her at andreajw.com / IG: @andreajw_

*Presentation #2
Politics & Game Theory: How the Wu-Tang Clan is the British Parliament of Hip-Hop 
by Jon Lorenzini

Description: The Wu-Tang Clan was established as a loose congregation of MCs in order to overtake the record industry in “as profitable a fashion as possible.” Unlike solo acts, the group (organized by the RZA) established a form of cooperative game theory allowing the Wu-Tang brand to diversify within sub-genres, maintain relevance within the industry and promote new members into the spotlight. In this talk, we will go into the governing dynamics of the group and how parallels can be drawn to politics domestically and abroad.

*Presentation #3
From Eggs to Apples: The Food of the Ancient Romans
by Andrew Coletti

Description: What delicacies could you expect to sample as the dinner guest of a Roman Emperor? What about a Roman tradesman, soldier, or shepherd: what was his idea of a decent meal? Did the Romans really relieve themselves at the “vomitorium” after overindulging, and did they really eat stuffed dormice? (Short answers to those last two questions: no and yes). The Ancient Romans had a vibrant food culture and a love for dining no less passionate than ours is today. In this talk, we’ll learn about the food of the Romans from start to finish (or as the Romans would say, ab ovo usque ad mala: from eggs to apples).

Bio: Andrew Coletti‘s food writing has appeared in Tasting Table and Atlas Obscura, and he has presented on the cuisines of the ancient world at the Brooklyn Brainery and other venues around NYC. Watch his videos about food history @passtheflamingo on TikTok and Instagram.