May 1, 2017
May 1, 1945: News of Hitler’s death: “I’m wondering if it is true…”
Germany
May 1, 1945
No. 144
My darling wife,
I have just finished a long letter to Mother and it has been overdue.READ MORE
May 1, 2017
“We are learning how to write in cursive…”
I was rooting around some old papers, looking for something else entirely, and found this gem of a writing sample from third grade.
April 27, 2017
Book Blurb: Glenn Kurtz
Marcel’s Letters deftly portrays how a curiosity can grow into a search, and the search into an obsession. Carolyn’s story bursts with the excitement of discovery and culminates with the indescribable honor of returning fragments of a forgotten history to the people they were meant for.
– Glenn Kurtz, author of Three Minutes in Poland: Discovering a Lost World in a 1938 Family Film
April 26, 2017
Goodreads giveaway!
Between now and May 9 you can sign up to win one of ten free copies of Marcel’s Letters!
Go to the book’s page on Goodreads, scroll down to “Enter Giveaway” and follow the prompts. Good luck!
Thanks to Skyhorse Publishers for sponsoring this giveaway!
April 13, 2017
Book Blurb: Yves Peters
Marcel’s Letters is a gripping page-turner about one type designer’s efforts to uncover (and recover) the destiny of a French forced laborer during World War II.
– Yves Peters, type writer and producer for Type Network
April 9, 2017
Book Blurb: Kenneth Mouré
Fascinated by the handwriting, Carolyn Porter’s chance purchase of a few letters led her to a remarkable adventure in font design, research to understand the wartime separation of a father from his wife and children, and a quest to uncover Marcel’s fate in the Second World War and that of his family. Marcel's Letters tells a compelling story of romance, perseverance, and discovery.
– Professor Kenneth Mouré, historian of modern France, University of Alberta
April 4, 2017
April 4, 1944: “If Pentecost sees me back with you, I’ll be glad…”
Vienna April 4, 1944
My very dear parents,
I come for a moment to give you some news from me which are very good for now. I am still in good health. I hope it is the same for you.
READ MORE
April 3, 2017
The Making of Marcel’s Letters
Recently I was interviewed by book development editor Jill Swenson. It was a delightful interview with questions about music and typography and legal issues. You can check it out here.
March 2, 2017
Dissecting the book cover
The book cover has been finalized! I’m delighted with the final product and am grateful for the work of the cover designer, Erin. I’ve heard people remark they like it; that it has “shelf-appeal.” What people may or may not understand by quickly glancing at the cover, though, is that it has specific design elements that work hard to tell its story.READ MORE
February 24, 2017
Book Blurb: Theresa Kaminski
Quirky, heartfelt, and compulsively readable, Marcel's Letters is an inventive combination of memoir and amateur historical sleuthing. An unforgettable story.
– Theresa Kaminski, author of Angels of the Underground: The American Women who Resisted the Japanese in the Philippines in World War II
February 15, 2017
February 15, 1945: “A card to you from not too gay Paree…”
February 15, 1945
My dear young men:
A card to you from not too gay Paree. But it is a beautiful city filled with beautiful women, beautiful buildings, beautiful stores, everything beautiful, no Frenchmen, and a lot of G.I. soldiers. I wish you both could be here to enjoy it. I wish I could enjoy it, too, but I am too busy with my work. Some other day, maybe
— Dad
February 12, 2017
Book Blurb: Mark Simonson
I’ve made many fonts but none of them has a story with as many unexpected discoveries and emotional turns as the story of Marcel.
– Mark Simonson, designer of more than thirty fonts, including the iconic Proxima Nova, Mark Simonson Studio