10. WINTERHOUSE STUDIO
William Drenttel published this little red book at the request of his longtime friend Susan Sontag. The noted writer felt her acceptance speech for the Friedenspreis, a German peace prize, deserved special treatment, and as it turned out, this was the last publication done before her death. “There was an incredibly close reading of the text, and it sort of designed itself,” says Drenttel, a partner at Winterhouse Studio.

While he didn’t hear Sontag deliver her Friedenspreis acceptance, Drenttel did have intimate knowledge of how she spoke— gained from hearing her on numerous other occasions. He gave the book a speech-like quality by breaking the text into emphatic parts. Particularly salient points, for example, might appear as a single paragraph resting at the top or bottom of a page. This approach highlights important passages much like a pause or an adjustment in tone when delivering a speech.
Michelle Taute