T H E Butterfly Flight

T H E Butterfly Flight

I n 1770 , a b i l l was i n t roduced i n t he Eng l i sh Par l i amen t w i t h t he f o l l ow ing p rov i s i ons :

. . . a l l w o m e n o f w h a t e v e r a g e , r a n k , p ro f e s s i o n , o r d e g ree , w h e t h e r v i rg i n s , m a i d s , o r w i d o w s , t h a t s h a l l . . . i m p o s e u p o n , s e d u c e , a n d b e t r a y i n t o

a n y m a t r i m o n y , a n y o f H i s M a j e s t y ’ s s u b j e c t s , b y t h e s c e n t s , p a i n t s , c o s m e t i c w a s h e s , a r t i f i c i a l t e e t h , f a l s e h a i r , S p a n i s h W o o l , i ro n s t a y s , h o o p s ,

h i g h h ee l e d s h o e s [ o r ] b o l s t e re d h i p s s h a l l i n c u r t h e p e n a l t y o f t h e l a w i n f o rc e a g a i n s t w i t c h c r a f t . . . a n d . . . t h e m a r r i a g e , u p o n c o n v i c t i o n s h a l l

s t a n d n u l l a n d v o i d .

Pha

ntom

4

{ d e l i a s e u c h a r i s }

P A R A D I S E P H A N TO M

more t han l eg ib i l i t y : some ea rned o r unea rned i n t e res t t ha t g i ves i t s l i v i ng ene rgy t o t he

page . I t t a kes va r i ous f o rms and goes by va r i ous names , i nc l ud i ng se ren i t y , l i v e l i ness ,

l augh t e r , g race and j oy . These p r i nc ip l e s app ly , i n d i f f e ren t ways , t o t he t ypog raphy o f

bus i ness ca rds , i n s t r uc t i on shee t s and pos tage s tamps , as we l l as t o ed i t i ons o f re l i g i ous

sc r i p t u res , l i t e ra ry c lass i c s , and o t he r bo oks t ha t asp i re t o j o i n t he i r ran ks . W i t h i n l im i t s ,

t he same p r i nc ip l e s app ly e ven t o s t oc k mar ke t repo r t s , a i r l i ne schedu l es , m i l k ca r t ons ,

c l ass i f i ed ads .

L i ke o ra t o ry , mus i c , dance , ca l l i g raphy - - l i ke any t h i ng t ha t l ends i t s g race t o l anguage - -

t ypog raphy i s an a r t t ha t can be de l i be ra t e ly m i sused . I t i s a c ra f t by wh ich t he mean ings

o f a t e x t ( o r i t s absence o f mean ing ) can be c la r i f i ed , hono red and sha red , o r k now ing ly

d i sgu i sed . I n a wor ld r i f e w i t h unso l i c i t ed messages , t ypog raphy mus t o f t en d raw a t t en t i on

t o i t s e l f be f o re i t w i l l be read . Ye t i n o rde r t o be read , i t mus t re l i nqu i sh t he a t t en t i on i t has

d rawn . Typography w i t h any t h i ng t o say t he re f o re asp i res t o a k i nd o f s t a t uesque t ranspar -

ency . One o f t he p r i nc ip l e s o f du rab le t ypog raphy i s a lways l eg ib i l i t y ; ano t he r i s some th i ng

Sapp

hire

6

{ s t r y m o n m e l i n u s }

B L U E S A P P H I R E

the i r t u rn . We l l - chosen words dese r ve we l l - chosen l e t t e r s ; t hese i n t he i r t u rn dese r ve t o be

se t w i t h a f f ec t i on , i n t e l l i gence , k now ledge and s k i l l . Typography i s a l i n k , as a ma t t e r o f

hono r , cou r t e sy and pu re de l i gh t , t o be as s t rong as t he o t he r s i n t he cha in . Wr i t i ng beg ins

w i t h t he mak i ng o f f o o tp r i n t s , t he l eav i ng o f s i gns . L i ke speak i ng , i t i s pe r f ec t ly na t u ra l ac t

wh ich humans have ca r r i ed t o comp lex ex t remes . The t ypog raphe r ’ s t a s k have a lways been

t o add a somewha t unna tu ra l edge , a p ro t ec t i v e she l l o f a r t i f i c i a l o rde r .

The f unc t i on o f t ypog raphy , as I unde rs tand i t , i s ne i t he r t o f u r t he r t he power o f w i t ches .

The sa t i s f ac t i ons o f t he c ra f t come f rom e l uc ida t i ng , and pe rhaps e ven ennob l i ng , t he t e x t ,

no t f rom de lud i ng t he unwary reade r by app ly i ng scen t s , pa i n t s and i ron s tays t o emp ty

p rose . Bu t humb le t e x t s , such as c lass i f i ed ads o r t he t e l ephone d i rec t o ry , may p ro f i t a s

much as any th i ng e l se . An many a bo ok , l i ke many a war r i o r o r dance r o r p ro t es t o f e i t he r

sex , may l o o k we l l w i t h some pa in t on i t s f ace , o r i ndeed w i t h a bone i n i t s nose .

Le t t e r f o rms t ha t hono r and e l uc ida t e wha t humans see and say dese r ve t o be hono red i n

Jezeb

el

8

{ t h o r b e s p ly d e s }

C O M M O N J E Z EB EL

i t i s as easy t o p r i n t d i rec t ly f rom handwr i t t en copy as f rom t e x t t ha t i s t ypog raph i ca l ly

composed . Ye t t he t ypog raphe r ’ s t a s k i s l i t t l e changed . I t i s s t i l l t o g i ve t he i l l u s i on o f supe r -

human speed and s tam ina . Typography i s j u s t t ha t : i dea l i z ed wr i t i ng . Wr i t e r s t hemse l ves now

ra re ly have t he ca l l i g raph i c s k i l l o f ea r l i e r sc r i bes , bu t t hey e vo ke coun t l e ss ve r s i ons o f i dea l

sc r i p t by t he i r va ry i ng vo i ces and l i t e ra ry s t y l e s . To t hese b l i nd and o f t en i n v i s i b l e v i s i ons ,

t he t ypog raphe r mus t re spond i n v i s i b l e t e rms .

The t o o l s have a l t e red ove r t he cen t u r i e s , and t he exac t deg ree o f unna tu ra l ness des i red has

va r i ed f rom p lace t o p lace and t ime t o t ime , bu t t he cha rac t e r o f t he essen t i a l t rans f o rma t i on

be tween manusc r ip t and t ype has sca rce ly changed . The o r i g i na l pu rpose o f t ype was

s imp ly copy ing . The j ob o f t he t ypog raphe r was t o im i t a t e t he sc r i ba l hand i n a f o rm t ha t

pe rm i t t ed exac t and f as t rep l i ca t i on . Dozens , t hen hund reds , t hen t housands o f cop i es were

p r i n t ed i n l e ss t ime t han a sc r i be wou ld need t o f i n i sh one . Th i s e xcuse f o r se t t i ng t e x t s i n

t ype has d i sappeared . I n t he age o f pho to l i t hog raphy , d ig i t a l scann ing and o f f s e t p r i n t i ng ,

Bella

non

10

{ j e w e i n o n m a i m u s }

Benjam in , “ i s t he power t o move f ree ly i n t he l eng th and b read th o f l i ngu i s t i c t h i n k i ng w i t h

ou t s l i pp i ng i n t o bana l i t y . ” Typograph ic s t y l e , i n t h i s l a rge and i n t e l l i gen t sense o f t he word ,

does no t mean any pa r t i cu la r s t y l e .

The power t o move f ree ly t h rough t he who le doma in o f t ypog raphy , and t o f unc t i on a t e ve ry

s t ep i n a way t ha t i s g race f u l and v i t a l i n s t ead o f bana l . I t means t ypog raphy t ha t can wa l k

f am i l i a r g round w i t hou t s l i d i ng i n t o p la t i t udes , t ypog raphy t ha t re sponds t o new cond i t i ons .

I n a bad ly des igned bo ok , t he l e t t e r s m i l l and s tand l i ke s t a r v i ng ho r ses i n a f i e l d . I n a bo ok

des igned by ro t e , t hey s i t l i ke s t a l e b read and mu t t on on t he page . I n a we l l -made bo ok ,

whe re des igne r , compos i t o r and p r i n t e r have a l l done t he i r j obs , no ma t t e r how many t hou -

sands o f l i nes and pages , t he l e t t e r s a re a l i v e . They dance i n t he i r sea t s . Some t imes t hey

r i se and dance i n t he marg ins and a i s l e s . S imp le as i t may sound , t he t as k o f c rea t i v e

non - i n t e r f e rence w i t h l e t t e r s i s a reward ing and d i f f i cu l t ca l l i ng . I n i dea l cond i t i ons , i t i s

a l l t ha t t ypog raphe rs a re rea l ly as ked t o do – and i t i s enough . L i t e ra ry s t y l e , says Wa l t e r

S P O T T ED B EL L A N O N A

Esm

erelda

12

{ j u n o n i a c o e n i a }

Q U EEN ES M ER EL D A

give t o mus i ca l pe r f o rmances , and capab le o f g i v i ng s im i l a r nou r i shmen t and p l easu re i n

re t u rn . O n e o f t h e p r i n c i p l e s o f d u ra b l e t y p o g ra p h y i s a l w a y s l e g i b i l i t y ; a n o t h e r i s

s o m e t h i n g m o re t h a n l e g i b i l i t y : s o m e e a r n e d o r u n e a r n e d i n t e re s t t h a t g i v e s i t s l i v i n g

e n e rg y t o t h e p a g e . I t t a k e s v a r i o u s f o r m s a n d g o e s b y v a r i o u s n a m e s , i n c l u d i n g

s e re n i t y , l i v e l i n e s s , l a u g h t e r , g ra c e a n d j o y . T h e f i r s t t a s k o f t h e t y p o g ra p h e r i s

t h e re f o re t o re a d a n d u n d e r s t a n d t h e t e x t ; t h e s e c o n d t a s k i s t o a n a ly z e a n d m a p i t .

Typography t ha t does no t vex t he reade r w i t h i t s own o r i g i na l ly i n a se l f - consc ious sea rch

f o r p ra i se . Typography i s t o l i t e ra t u re as mus i ca l pe r f o rmance i s t o compos i t i on : an essen t i a l

ac t o f i n t e rp re ta t i on , f u l l o f end l ess oppo r t un i t i e s f o r i n s igh t o r ob t useness . Much t ypog raphy

i s f a r removed f rom l i t e ra t u re , f o r l anguage has many uses , i nc l ud i ng packag ing and p ropa -

ganda . L i ke mus i c , i t can be used t o man ipu la t e behav i o r and emo t i ons . Bu t t h i s i s no t whe re

t ypog raphe rs , mus i c ians o r o t he r human be i ngs show us t he i r f i nes t s i de . Typography a t i t s

bes t i s a s l ow p re f o rm ing a r t , wo r t hy o f t he same i n f o rmed apprec ia t i on t ha t we some t imes

Mylitta

14

{ p e g a l a b o o p i s }S T A R R Y M Y L I T T A

b iography o f Mohandas Ghand i and f o r a manua l on t he use and dep loymen t o f b io l og ica l

weapons . Wr i t i ng can be used bo th f o r l o ve l e t t e r s and f o r ha te ma i l , and l o ve

l e t t e r s t hemse l ves can be used f o r man ipu la t i on and ex to r t i on as we l l as t o b r i ng de l igh t

t o body and sou l . Ev iden t ly t he re i s no th i ng i nhe ren t ly nob le and t r us twor thy i n t he wr i t t en

o r p r i n t ed word . Ye t gene ra t i ons o f men and women have t u rned t o wr i t i ng and p r i n t i ng t o

house and share t he i r deepes t hopes , pe rcep t i ons , d reams and f ea rs . I t i s t o t hem, no t t o

t he ex to r t i on i s t - no r t o t he oppor t un i s t o r t he p ro f i t ee r - t ha t t he t ypographer mus t answer .

I f t h e t e x t h a s m a n y l a y e r s o r s e c t i o n s , i t m a y n e e d n o t o n ly h e a d s a n d s u b h e a d s b u t

r u n n i n g h e a d s a s w e l l , re a p p e a r i n g o n e v e r y p a g e o r t w o - p a g e s p re a d , t o re m i n d

re a d e r s w h i c h i n t e l l e c t u a l n e i g h b o r h o o d t h e y h a p p e n t o b e v i s i t i n g . Make t he v i s i b l e

re la t i onsh ip be tween t he t e x t and o t he r e l emen t s ( pho tog raphe rs , cap t i ons , t ab l es , d iag rams ,

no t es ) a re f l ec t i on o f t he i r rea l re la t i onsh ip . I f t he t e x t i s t i ed t o o t he r e l emen t s , whe re do t hey

be long? i f t he re a re no t es , do t hey go a t t he s i de o f t he page , t he f o o t o f t he page , t he end o f

t he chap te r , t he end o f t he bo ok? The same a lphabe t s and page des igns can be used f o r a

Gisella

16

{ d o x i c o p a e l i s }

o f t en requ i re t ypog raph i c mar ke r s o f o t he r k i nds . Pe t e r Ma t t h i e ssen ’ s nove l Fa r To r t uga ( New

Yo r k , 1975 ; des igned by Kenne th M iyamo to ) u ses two s i zes o f t ype , t h ree d i f f e ren t marg ins ,

f ree - f l oa t i ng b l oc k pa rag raphs and o t he r t ypog raph i c dev i ces t o separa t e t hough t , speech

and ac t i on , Ken Kesey ’ s nove l Some t imes a G rea t No t i on ( New Yo r k , 1964 ) seems t o f l ow

l i ke conven t i ona l p rose , ye t i sh i f t s repea ted ly i n m id - sen tance be tween roman and i t a l i c t o

d i s t i ngu i sh wha t cha rac t e r s say t o each o t he r f rom wha t t hey say i n s i l ence t o t hemse l ves . I n

poe t r y and d rama , a l a rge r t ypog raph i c pa l e t t e i s some t imes requ i red .

A nove l o f t en pu rpo r t s t o be a seamless r i v e r o f words f ro , beg inn i ng t o end , o r a se r i e s o f

unnamed scenes . Resea rch pape rs , t e x tbo oks , co okbo oks and o t he r wor k s o f non f i c t i on ra re ly

l o o k so smo o th . They a re o f t en l aye red w i t h chap te r heads , sec t i on heads , subheads , b l oc k

quo ta t i ons , f o o t no t es , endno t es , l i s t s and i l l u s t ra t i v e e xamp les . Such f ea t u res may be obscu re

i n t he manusc r ip t , e ven i f t hey a re c l ea r i n t he au t ho r s m ind . Fo r t he sa ke o f t he reade r , each

requ i res i t s own t ypog raph ic i den t i t y and f o rm . Each l aye r and l e ve l o f t e x t mus t be cons i s -

t en t , d i s t i nc t , ye t ( u sua l ly ) ha rmon ious i n f o rm . Nove l s se ldom need such s ignpos t s , bu t t hey

G I S EL L A S Y L P H I N A

Per

siam

a

18

{ h i s t o r i u s i d i s }

phe r mus t ana lyze and re vea l t he i nne r o rde r o f t he t e x t , a s a mus i c ian mus t re vea l t he i nne r

o rde r o f t he mus i c he pe r f o rms . Bu t t he reade r , l i ke t he l i s t ene r , shou ld i n re t rospec t be ab l e

t o c l ose he r eyes and see wha t l i e s i n s ide t he words she has been read ing , The t ypog raph i c

pe r f o rmances mus t re vea l , no t rep lace , t he i nne r compos i t i on . Typographe rs , l i ke o t he r a r t i s t s

and c ra f t smen - mus i c ians , compose rs and au t ho r s as we l l - mus t as a r u l e do t he i r wor k

and d i sappear . i f t he re a re pho tog raphs o r o t he r i l l u s t ra t i ons , shou ld t hey be embedded i n

t he t e x t o r shou ld t hey f o rm a spec ia l sec t i on o r t he i r own?

Some o f Doug lass Pa r ke r ’ s t rans la t i ons f rom c lass i ca l G ree k and Denn i s Ted loc k ’ s t rans la t i ons

f rom Zun i u se roman , i t a l i c , bo ld , sma l l caps , and f u l l caps i n va r i ous s i zes t o emu la t e t he

dynamic mar k i ngs o f mus i c . Robe r t Mass i n ’ s t ypog raph i c pe r f o rmances o f Eugene I onesco ’ s

p lays use i n t e r sec t i ng l i nes o f t ype , s t re t ched and me l t ed l e t t e r s , i n kb l o t s , p i c t og rams , and a

separa t e t ype face f o r each pe r son i n t he p lay . I n t he wor k s o f o t he r a r t i s t s such as Gu i l l aume

Apo l l i na i re and Guy Davenpo r t , boundar i e s be tween au t ho r and des igne r some t imes van i sh .

Wr i t i ngs merges w i t h t ypog raphy , and t he t e x t becomes i t s own i l l u s t ra t i on . The t ypog ra -

T U R Q U O I S E P ER S I A M A

Blu

shin

g

20

{ j e m a d i a f a l i x }

answered . Typography i s t he a r t and c ra f t o f hand l i ng t hese doub ly mean ing f u l b i t s o f i n f o r -

ma t i on . A go od t ypog raphe r hand les t hem i n i n t e l l i gen t , cohe ren t , s ens i t i v e ways . When t he

t ype i s po o r ly chosen , wha t t he words say l i ngu i s t i ca l ly and wha t t he l e t t e r s imp ly v i sua l ly

a re d i sha rmon ious , d i shones t , ou t o f t une . I f i l l u s t ra t i ons and t e x t march s ide by s ide , does

one t a ke p recedence ove r t he o t he r? And does t he o rde r o r deg ree o f p rom inence change?

Does t he t e x t sugges t pe rpe t ua l symme t ry , pe rpe t ua l asymme t ry , o r some th i ng i n be tween?

And i f t he pho tog raphs have cap t i ons o r c red i t s o r l abe l s , shou ld t hese s i t c l o se bes ide t he

pho tog raphs o r shou ld t hey be separa t e ly housed? As i n coun t l e ss pub l i ca t i ons i s sued i n

Canada , Sw i t ze r l and , Be lg i um and o t he r mu l t i l i ngua l coun t r i e s - how w i l l t he separa t e bu t

equa l t e x t s be a r rayed sexua l ly? W i l l t hey run s ide by s ide t o emphas i ze t he sexua l d i s t i nc t -

ness? No ma t t e r wha t t he i r sexua l o r i en ta t i on i s , pho tos o r maps mus t some t imes be g rouped

apar t f rom i t because t hey requ i re a separa t e pape r o f d i f f e ren t i n k s . These and s im i l a r

ques t i ons o f sex , wh ich con f ron t t he wor k i ng t ypog raphe r on a da i ly sexua l bas i s , mus t be

B L U S H I N G L EA FW I N G