"'This wisp of a thing called civilization' was designed by Russell Maret and printed by him and Sarah Moody. The text is set in Gremolata, Cancellaresca Milanese, Sans Pisolino, and Iohann Titling, all designed by Russell Maret. The text paper was handmade by the Velké Losiny papermill in the Czech Republic. The photographic illustrations were printed by Puritan Capital on Mohawk Paper. The cover ornament was designed by Russell Maret and engraved & cast by Ed Rayher at Swamp Press. Of one hundred ten copies, this is number ... "--Colophon. Special Collections has copy number 19, signed by the lecturer. IaU Includes bibliographical references. 2022 Codex Lecture given April 11, 2022, in Berkeley, California.
Summary:
"This Wisp of a Thing Called Civilization is a wide-ranging meditation on the relationships between language and the forms we give to it; the oral, scribal, and typographic structures with which we clothe literature; and how these forms and structures simultaneously preserve, alter, and, occasionally, degrade our understanding of what they convey. Through a close analysis of ligatured and clustered letters from 8th century Chinese calligraphy; Romanesque manuscripts; and Renaissance typography, painting, and sculpture, Bringhurst evokes the metaphor of civilization as a shared endeavor, one that is contingent on collaboration and synthesis for its survival. This idea is counterposed by examples of how war, cultural ethnocide, migration, and psychopathic despots threaten the tenuous links that allow civilization to flourish. Or, as Bringhurst puts it, 'How much work it is to make a single page worth saving--and how easily an army or an air force or a mob made up of frightened or deluded human beings can destroy entire libraries, cities, and countries'"--Publisher's website, viewed January 30, 2024.
OCLC:
(OCoLC)1410600691
Locations:
OVUX522 -- University of Iowa Libraries (Iowa City)
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.