“Done In Twenty-Six” [Reflections On Book - 100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design Stephen Heller and Veronique Vienne - #74]

Old Gutenberg moved type around,
But borrowed scripts in Scripture’s found,
As penned in dim-lit cloister cells,
By monks with quills dipped in their wells.

Then in the twenties, fifties, now,
Some others “sans serif” endowed
With alphabet (just twenty-six –
A mix of upper-lower picks).

Who knows, with cursive down the drain,
So only printing-block remains
For kids, will this strip-down at last
To twenty-six – ignore the past?

Excuse is, “Easy for the kids,
If alphabet they use is rid
Of upper-lower cases of
Same letter – texting shares their love.

So kids these days won’t to read the past
Enshrined in libraries vast
(Which is their point) – Oh, Google it?
“Too vulnerable” comes to my lip.

Like library in ancient days
At Alexandria – best way –
“All in one place, thus scholars use
Them quickly” – also quickly lose.

Well, anyway, to me it’s gross;
Kids are not stupid – heaven knows
The beauty of some texts we have
Flow over us as scripted salve.

“Dumb down our world to lowest rung”,
Such is the wisdom of the ones
Who short-term see, ignore the past;
Thus ancient issues are re-cast.

Thanks Lord for this.

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