Eli Mock on Designing Michael Leviton's To Be Honest
Eli Mock is a designer at Abrams Books. Here he talks us through his process for designing the cover of Michael Leviton’s To Be Honest.
Michael Leviton’s memoir, To Be Honest, was one of the last covers I completed pre-pandemic. The book is an extraordinary account of being raised in a family the author calls a “little honesty cult.” He loved “just being honest.” But this honesty had consequences — in friendships, on dates, and at job interviews. When honesty slowly poisoned a great romance, Michael decided there had to be something to lying after all.
After reading the text, I started in on some sketches. My first attempts were centered around Michael’s upbringing and how he learned to “be honest”. Instructional diagrams and the classic classroom/Simpsons chalkboard punishment (“I must not tell a lie”) inspired a few of these directions. I was quickly working through some ideas, so these directions were never presented.
My next thought went to Pinocchio and his inability to tell a lie without his nose growing. I went ahead and used a giant nose to symbolize the disruptive nature of total honesty. I loved the shape of the nose and its ability to take up a full cover, upsetting title and author name. However, this was probably too abstract and didn’t really relate to the text.
I needed a break from the computer. With the idea that too much honesty can be disruptive and uncomfortable, I got out some paper and tore out speech bubbles.
As a nod to Michael’s work as a photographer, I searched for classic images of couples and families in conversation. I settled on two potential options that related well to his adventures with honesty: a father/son relationship and a couple out to dinner. The speech bubbles were then arranged over both images to make a sort of “honesty” cloud. Eventually, the author selected the image of the couple, had a few typography notes, and the cover was done. Stepping away from the computer and my typical creative process worked out for the best.
Final cover
Editor, artworker and lifelong bibliophile.