Book notes | Marcel’s Letters
Even as a young girl, White Bear Lake resident and graphic designer Carolyn Porter was fascinated with lettering, calligraphy, and such. As an adult, she imagined designing a type font. Looking for inspiration, she found some letters dated from World War II in an antique store, in Stillwater, that she purchased and later translated.
The letters were written in French, but in such beautiful, expressive script that Porter was captivated, and set to work designing the font she later named P22 Marcel Script Pro. Reading the letters that Marcel had written to his wife and daughters, Porter became emotionally connected. She was moved by his tender, loving words, and became obsessed with finding out what happened to the author of these letters, who was working in Germany while communicating with his young family back in France.
Her obsession and detective work paid off (with lots of help and support from friends and genealogists) when Porter eventually traveled to France to meet Marcel’s daughter and grandchildren.
It’s a fascinating journey, from a small river town to war-torn Europe. Some members of our book group thought there was too much detail about the design of the font. Mostly, the group enjoyed the journey with the author, and concluded the takeaway of the story is that Marcel found her, not the other way around.
— Joni Mitchell, UMRA Book Club I
Book Club I to meet September 17
Fri, Sep 17 2021, 2pm
Joni Mitchell will lead the discussion of Marcel’s Letters by Carolyn Porter when the UMRA Book Club I meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, September 17.
This book club currently has 16 members, a number that works well for our discussions. Contact Pat Tollefson at [email protected] for more information, including suggestions for starting a new book club.
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.