txt: Six Memos for the Next Millennium (Vintage Books edition) Commentary on Lightness
Italo Calvino’s Six Memos for the Next Millennium contains five memos, or personal testaments. The sixth was never written on paper. Each memo on lightness, quickness, exactitude, visibility, and multiplicity acts as a guideline for life and creativity. Six Memos for the Next Millennium is a book one should all read to endure a more satisfying life of clarity and simplicity.
Although Calvino’s book was primarily written in regards to literature, his book can also relate to the fields of art and design. As in writing, design and typography should be light, clear, and simple while still maintaining a visually appealing and comprehensive story. Essentially, a designer and typographer convey to their audience “a story” that must be visually read and understood. Typography, design and writing portray messages, personalities, and hidden meanings for their audience in different ways but also much in the same vein.
link: Italo Calvino – Six Memos for the Next Millennium – Harvard University Press
