“Blessed are the mad, for they shall be surfeited with reason!” With these words, the Spanish existentialist philosopher and novelist Miguel de Unamuno ends his story of Don Quixote’s after-death meeting with Jesus. Madness reveals the horizon beyond which creativity and enlightenment flourish. For Don Quixote, the tearful recognition of his own and Jesus’ madness is what finally propels him into eternal glory. The parallel English and Spanish texts were composed using LTC Italian Old Style with ornamental Goudy initials. The fragmented digital images and the texts are printed letterpress on Rives Heavyweight paper in an album-style binding based on the traditional Japanese nori-ire gajo. The cover paper is handmade abaca from Twinrocker. Images of the completed book are by Mary Rezny and are used with her permission.
© 2023 Rutherford Witthus