On October 22nd and 23rd I had the honor of giving presentations on Marcel’s Letters: A Font and the Search for One Man’s Fate to audiences in Fall Creek and Menomonie, WI. Both events were part of the Chippewa Valley Book Festival.
November 2, 1944
Dear Madame,
I am sending this little card to give you some of my news that is still very good and to announce to you that I have become a free prisoner several days ago. READ MORE
Elizabeth Reaser as Inge and Tim Guinee as Olaf in Ali Selim’s SWEET LAND. Photo: David Tumblety
Let me begin with the why: why in the world would I watch the same movie every night for three weeks? READ MORE
Envelope
Miss Elza Delbovier
106 avenue Nouvelle
Brussels 4 [unclear]
Belgium
Full-page Letter
My dear Els,
You will undoubtedly receive this letter before the one that I mailed on Monday the 21st [unclear]. I apologize thousands of times for such a delay in writing to you. I would really not want you to be upset about this.READ MORE
One thing I enjoy about TypeCon, the annual conference hosted by the Society of Typographic Aficionados (SOTA), an international organization dedicated to the promotion, study, and support of typography and related arts, is the opportunity to take workshops. Workshops provide an intense, hands-on way to learn something new from experts; this year’s workshops included an intro to Chinese calligraphy, a wood type printing primer, instruction on the construction of brush majuscules, an introduction to Hangul (Korean) type, reduction block printing, hot glass experiments (attendees got to make a neon letter!), and a day trip to the Hill Manuscript Museum in St. Cloud.READ MORE
I will confess: I didn’t really know what to expect. Friends who had visited Letterform Archive gushed: “It’s amazing.” “You will love it.” “I could have spent an entire day there!”READ MORE
June 12, 1944
My dear mom, my dear dad, my little sister Rolande..READ MORE
When an author writes a book proposal, they often invent profiles of prospective readers; the purpose is to help a publisher envision what type of reader might buy that book. When I first heard about Mamta Chaudhry’s forthcoming novel, HAUNTING PARIS, it felt as if my picture should have been used in her book proposal. The book checks off just about every topic I could ask for: Paris? Check. An old, handwritten letter? Check. WWII? Check! A compelling history-mystery? CHECK!
Last week I had a conversation with a friend whose book, Crackerjack Bands and Hometown Boosters: The Story of a Minnesota Music Man, is coming out in July. She’s at the point in the process where the writing is done, the book is in production, and she’s facing the daunting next step: launching her book.READ MORE
Letter 52
Wednesday, 13th May, 1942
1887416 Sgt. Leigh AA, RE
Transportation
Headquarters
Sudan
My Darling Sweetheart,
How long it is since I last wrote you. I don’t know but it is longer than it should have been. I am extremely sorry to keep you of all people waiting but I am sure you must know and realise that I have an excellent reason, so please forgive me darling. I must confess that I have been frightfully busy and working hard in the intense heat produces a tiredness which hinders all attempts to write but the smallest of letters. Since my precious you are worth far more to me than a few scrappy lines I just wait my opportunity. READ MORE
I found this delightful, mystery-filled handwriting sample on eBay for just a few dollars. I love the loopy handwriting, the flourished initial letters, and the extra-long cross bars on the t’s. Most of all, I love the sternness of the note. I’m dying to know what was so unworthy! The note was written on the front of the envelope; unfortunately the envelope doesn’t include any other clues.
It struck me as a fantastic writing prompt. What do you think was such a failure and that was so “untrustworthy” that it required courage to send? Do tell!