From the website, lettersofnote.com, I came across a letter written by Laura Huxley, wife of the famed novelist Aldous Huxley of Brave New World. As a writer fascinated and renown for his interest in psychedelic drugs and parapsychology, Aldous is quoted by his wife Laura in this letter that describes his last few days before death. The letter explains his state while given numerous medication and during his last few hours before death, he was given LSD.
Set as 6"×9", the book's layout is represented as an octagonal wing, to represent the last eight days Aldous was in his deathbed.
The spot color chosen for this book is scarlet, as described as Huxley as a bright, shining color (next to yellow) that gives hope because, unaccountably, the mind responds to them.
Photography by Rosa Jiyoon Hyun. (Thank you)
The book jacket with the book title, subtitle, and author printed on a vellum overlaying the copyright information printed onto the book cover.
Throughout the book before Aldous dies, he talks to Laura with struggle as he faces death. His speech throughout the book is inconsistent. Which is why I chose Electra for the body text and Brandon Grotesque to complement it. Dala Floda was the other typeface chosen which was originally based off of gravestone writing.
As a secondary text, I chose to include medical definitions that described the medicine and its severe side effects. I represented this through prescription notes printed on vellum. Throughout the letter Laura Huxley administers Aldous with numerous kinds of drugs to treat his medical conditions. Yet during the time of the 60's, medication at the time generally had severe side effects similar to drugs. This only made his condition worse. Whenever Laura gave him medicine in the letter, I inserted a prescription note. At the same time, I manipulated the body text to react to the severe side effects of the drug as if the text was administered the drug.
While reading the text, the reader will notice my folios (page numbers) to slowly disappear. This is to represent time, as the book slowly approaches Aldous' death.
An assignment for Katherine Hughes' Typography III class.
Student work for Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Student work for Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
