Crying in
H Mart

Crying in H Mart

2021
conceptual type book
Typography III
Print

Written for The New Yorker in 2018 and later expanded into a full-fledged novel of the same title, Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart is both an endearing and heart-wrenching recollection of her mother’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent passing. This project integrates Zauner’s article into a conceptual typographic book that exalts her earnest prose and maximalist writing style.

A red book cover that reads "Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner" stands upright next to a designed print spread.

Process

Titled Macro-Micro, this project combines two pieces of writing: the “Macro”—any excerpt of our choice containing 2500+ words—and the “Micro”—a 150–300 word text that complements the main body. After I elected to format Crying in H Mart into the multipage book project, I thought it fitting to incorporate Zauner’s lyricism—retrieved from two significant songs she recorded with her band, Japanese Breakfast—as the Micro text so as to evoke and magnify the pangs of emotion she explores in her article. Below are some initial spread iterations.

A series of print spread iterations are laid out in two columns.

Systems

The section titles and callouts are designed with a bright red monotype, Antarctican Mono, for increased prominence and distinction from the serif body, in Frieght Text, and the serif title and staggered lyrics, in Freight Big. I also enumerate each section with Hangul (Korean characters), in Noh Optique Display, with respect to Zauner’s Korean heritage and story.

Decorative red and pink text that reads: Crying in H Mart, Michelle Zauner, "This type book was designed for Beth Weeks' Typography 3 Course and uses four typefaces."A brown square with layered text.A blue square with layered text.

In order to discern the two songs I selected, I alternate their lyrics on each spread in succession; I select a blue color system for “In Heaven” and red-browns for “In Hell,” not only a reflection of their unique sonic qualities, but also a nod to the polarities they represent.

A pink hand holding a persimmon set behind song lyrics from Japanese Breakfast's song, "In Hell's" second verse: "Wheeled you in laid on your side. I cried and cried and at my signal, they stopped your heart and then you died."

final application

An open book with a white spread design featuring text from Zauner's article and song lyrics from "In Hell."An open book with a white spread design featuring text from Zauner's article and song lyrics from "In Heaven."An open book with a blue spread design featuring song lyrics from "In Heaven."
View Project

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