This project was created as a semester-long assignment for an Unconventional Typography course. The objective was to create a project of any form that used typography in an unconventional or thought-provoking way.

When thinking about what kind of typography holds the most meaning for me, I kept coming back to the art of the handwritten letter. I remembered during the brainstorming process that my father had a collection of family letters during my grandfather's time in WWII. He had mentioned to me before that the letters told the story of my great-uncle's death during the war. I decided that creating a book which focused on the typography of the letters as well as the incredible story of my family's past would be an extremely meaningful project.

I chose 14 letters, written from the perspective of 4 family members as well as officials from the US government, to include in the book. Each letter is reprinted and placed in a vellum envelope and a full spread is dedicated to the contents of the corresponding letter. Although there are hundreds of letters in the total collection, the abbreviated collection featured in Closer to Me allows a reader to get a strong sense for what it was like to lose a loved one at the hands of war.