You would still be holding eye contact (mostly) with the speaker. If the text were above or below, you would see to be looking off into space, which may be worse from the speaker's perspective.
Assuming the need is due to a catastrophe with Earth and not the Sun, why leave the solar system? If we can build a ship with resources that lasts generations, park it in Earth's (or another Sol planet's) L4 or L5. Going in search of another star seems foolish.