La Parola Regna Suprema

Father Robert Palladino, former Trappist monk and professor of calligraphy at Reed College, has died. His obituary at the New York Times contains a number of interesting links pertaining to his life and letters: the calligraphic variety, of course. Palladino is noted for having been an influence on Steve Jobs during his time at Reed, and thus on the design of the fonts and general aesthetic of the Macintosh computer.

Reed College itself has a page dedicated to its Calligraphy Heritage, although unfortunately it seems that the class itself is no longer taught there. Nevertheless, there are a several videos of Father Palladino and others at work that are worth watching, including an entire television series by Palladino's predecessor at Reed, Lloyd Reynolds. There's never been a better time for a handwriting renaissance.