Thomas: One more story before we move on. It is lighter on the surface, but I think it is deeply revealing. We are talking about culture and fonts, which somehow have become politicized.
For background, the U.S. government used Times New Roman for as long as I can remember. It is a traditional serif font, boring, staid, and normal. Under the Biden administration, the State Department switched its documents from Times New Roman to Calibri, a sans serif font.
When Marco Rubio became Secretary of State, one of his first symbolic moves was to purge Calibri and return to Times New Roman. He could have framed it as a cost-saving measure, since Times New Roman is one of the most space-efficient fonts. That would have been true.
Instead, the argument was cultural. Times New Roman was framed as a conservative font, and Calibri as a progressive font. Now the internet is fighting font wars.
What does this say about the current zeitgeist?
Thomas: I want to share Michael Knowles’s take because it captures the moment we are in. He said, “Sans serif fonts, in their inhuman minimalism, are for libs. Serif fonts, with their delightful and elegant adornments, elevate the soul. This return to tradition is not only a welcome change, but literally significant.”
Welcome to 2026. Even fonts have politics now.
Jonathan: I do not care that much. The way I learned it, sans serif fonts are for science fiction and serif fonts are for fantasy.
Thomas: This connects to something deeper. There is a broader rejection of minimalism. I recently saw a chart showing unpopular interior colors by decade. Over time, everything moves from bright, saturated colors to muted tones, until we end up with various shades of sad beige.
The same thing has happened in architecture. Compare a building from the 1800s with columns, statues, and ornamentation to a building from the 1980s made of glass and steel. No adornment. No art. Just brutalism. People are tired of it.
I have been to Russia. I have seen true brutalist architecture. The Soviets built structures to survive war, not to be beautiful or comfortable. Whether they could survive a nuclear blast, thankfully, we never found out.
Thomas: People argue that minimalism exists to save money. Sometimes that is true, but not always. In this case, Calibri actually costs more to print because it is less space-efficient than Times New Roman.
Cultures reveal their values by what they are willing to spend money on. Look at a lamppost from 1880 London, with carvings and statues, then compare it to a lamppost from 1980. One is preserved because it is beautiful. The other is invisible at best and ugly at worst.
How does this show up in books and publishing?
Thomas: Readers will spend up to one hundred dollars on special editions where the text is identical. What changes are the sprayed edges, flourishes, and artistic embellishments.
Jonathan: The book contributes to the home.
Thomas: Exactly. Some readers value extra content like short stories or illustrations. Many women value how a book makes their home look. A shelf of beautiful books signals identity. For example, Hobby Lobby’s entire business model is built on people filling their homes with objects that define them.
As authors, you need to think about whether your book is just a reading experience or also a physical object that carries meaning.
Thomas: This is happening in fashion too. There has been a trend toward mass-produced clothing that is cheap, uncomfortable, and constantly changing. Fast fashion is not about beauty or durability. It is about being current.
People are getting tired of that. As we move into a new cultural cycle, there is a growing hunger for enduring quality and beauty.
We are seeing this in churches as well. People want beautiful churches. My family experienced this firsthand when we visited Dallas around Christmas. We wanted our kids to see stained glass and classic architecture.
We went to a beautiful church that was otherwise very middle-of-the-road theologically. The parking was completely full. We missed half the service because so many people were drawn by the beauty of the space. Beauty alone was enough to drive attendance.
Jonathan: I appreciate beauty. I love Catholic cathedrals. The destruction of Notre Dame was a crime against human history. I love stained glass. Mormon temples are beautiful. Many mosques are beautiful too.
But I come from a very functional, war-oriented culture. Beauty requires protection. When beauty is central to worship, people feel compelled to preserve it. I respect that, but it is not how I operate.
Thomas: Regional culture and theological heritage are at play. Independent Baptists trace their roots to the Anabaptists, who are connected historically to groups like the Mennonites. The Amish, a branch of that tradition, avoid adornment, yet an Amish chair is a uniquely American kind of beauty. Simple, functional, but crafted at an exceptionally high level.
That value runs deep in American culture. Even fashion history reflects it. Lace fell out of favor during the American Revolution, partly due to British taxes and partly because lace symbolized European aristocracy.
Sources:
- X Post by Michael Knowles
- The New York Times: At State Dept., a Typeface Falls Victim in the War Against Woke
- AP News: Calibri font becomes the latest DEI target as Rubio orders return to Times New Roman
- CNET: Trump’s State Department Cancels Calibri, Reverts to Times New Roman: Why Font Matters
- NPR: U.S. State Department changes official font from Calibri back to Times New Roman
Why does this matter for authors?
Thomas: America is not one culture. It is made up of multiple cultural nations. I have a whole episode on this. Your book will not resonate equally with all of them.
Austin, where the Novel Marketing Conference is held, sits at the border between El Norte, heavily influenced by Mexican culture, and Greater Appalachia, one of the most overlooked but populous cultural regions in the country.
Greater Appalachia produces a disproportionate number of Marines.
Jonathan: The beauty I value is not decorative. It is legacy. Honor. Victory. Continuity. That is the beauty of the Marine Corps. We remember Tripoli, Midway, Iwo Jima, Fallujah. We remember sacrifice.
That is the beauty I try to create in life. It is harder, but it lasts.
Thomas: That is beauty of character. Internal and spiritual rather than physical. A book can have both, but how you market it matters.
You probably are not the kind of reader who buys special editions.
Jonathan: Only if I love the story.
Thomas: Some of my special editions define my personality.
Jonathan: Brandon Sanderson does not define my personality. I do not identify with his heroes. They are not hard enough. I almost liked Kaladin, but not quite. Sanderson seems like a genuinely nice guy. His books just do not reach me.
Thomas: Different readers value different kinds of beauty. Some care about sentence-level prose. Some care about characters. Some care about plot or magic systems.
There is more than one kind of beauty, but if you want readers, your book must embody some kind of beauty. You need to know which kind you do best and put that forward clearly.
Watch on YouTube
