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RIP Father Palladino, Master of Letter Forms

MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD. Father Robert Palladino taught calligraphy at Reed from 1969 to 1984.

Father Robert Palladino, a vital force in Reed's calligraphy tradition, and mentor to many scholars of the letter—including a penniless dropout named Steve Jobs—died quietly at home in Welches, Oregon, on Friday, according to his son, Eric. He was 83 years old.

A former Trappist monk, Father Palladino taught calligraphy at Reed from 1969 to 1984, where he guided students on an intellectual voyage through the the art and history of the letters of the alphabet with brush, pen, quill, and ink.

“Whenever you write, write something worth reading,” he told his students.

Steve Jobs and Reed

Reed student. Reed College student. Steve Jobs.

As everyone knows, Steve Jobs did not graduate from Reed College. (He may, in fact, be one of the most famous “non-graduates” in modern history). Nonetheless, his experience at Reed left a profound impression on him, as he reiterated on many occasions.

This week, the biopic Jobs, starring Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs (and James Woods as Dean Jack Dudman ’42), is being released to theaters around the world. In light of the enduring fascination with all things Steve, we decided to pull together some information about his time on campus. Visit our page on Steve Jobs at Reed for more details.

Calligraphy Makes a Comeback

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Reed revives its long history of calligraphy, started by Lloyd Reynolds in 1949.

"Concentrate on your breath and you'll make a better looking L. Breathe in. Breathe out on the downward stroke."

Nearly 30 students, faculty, and alumni hold their Speedball pens at a 45-degree angle and exhaling, grab the baseline with a downward stroke and finish with an exit serif. Next up is the letter O.

"As the O goes, so goes the alphabet," says calligraphy instructor Inga Dubay. "You'll be glad we didn't start with the O, it's not the easiest of letters. But it is a very lovely one in Italic. In handwriting we do the O all in one stroke, but in calligraphy we do a two-stroke O. Please do not do more than three at one time. You will be ill if you do."

Calligraphy Returns!

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One of the most exciting developments at Reed this fall is the return of calligraphy. As alumni know, calligraphy has a long and distinguished history at our college. From 1939 to 1984, Reed's humanist calligraphy program, under the direction of Lloyd Reynolds and Robert Palladino, inspired countless Reed students who pursued distinguished careers in the visual arts, typography, design, and literature, including luminaries like Steve Jobs and typeface designer (and Macarthur genius grant winner) Charles Bigelow '67.

The new Reed Scriptorium is part of the Cooley Gallery's new Calligraphy Initiative (the brainchild of Stephanie Snyder '91) and was developed and is coordinated by Gregory MacNaughton '89. Stephanie and Greg have both shown immense leadership in bringing this vital program back to the college. I dropped by the scriptorium the other night and it was packed with current students, staff, faculty, and old Reedies alike. Take a look at the Cooley's beautiful calligraphy Tumblr for more information about the program.

Calligraphy Leaps off the Page

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The greatly anticipated exhibition, Lloyd Reynolds: A Life of Forms in Art, has begun its run in the Cooley Art Gallery. Just hours after it opened, Robin Tovey '97 and I convened at the Hauser Library and headed to the gallery. An arresting exhibition poster hangs just outside, featuring an enlargement of Lloyd's piece "Calligraphy for People." It's a powerful piece--the words connect to one another through serpentine pen strokes--and aptly chosen. Lloyd, who was passionate about teaching, made this "beautiful writing" accessible to people in all walks of life, just as he made calligraphy at Reed prestigious worldwide...

The glass gallery doors carry a stenciled image of Thor's thunderbolt and Poseidon's trident, one of Lloyd's symbols that is featured in the show. Inside, we found outreach coordinator Greg MacNaughton '89, and curator Stephanie Snyder '91, along with gallery registrar Colleen Gotze, were busily putting the finishing touches on signage.