Sun Moon Star

Born in 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kurt Vonnegut was one of the few grandmasters of modern American letters. Called by the New York Times “the counterculture’s novelist,” his works guided a generation through the miasma of war and greed that was life in the U.S. in second half of the 20th century. After stints as a soldier, anthropology PhD candidate, technical writer for General Electric, and salesman at a Saab dealership, Vonnegut rose to prominence with the publication of Cat’s Cradle in 1963. Several modern classics, including Slaughterhouse-Five, soon followed. Never quite embraced by the stodgier arbiters of literary taste, Vonnegut was nonetheless beloved by millions of readers throughout the world. “Given who and what I am,” he once said, “it has been presumptuous of me to write so well.” Kurt Vonnegut died in New York in 2007.

Born in 1932, IVAN CHERMAYEFF’s career spanned more than six decades. He was a distinguished graphic designer, author, illustrator, and collagist, producing memorable work in a wide range of mediums. A founding partner of Chermayeff & Geismar with Tom Geismahe, Chermayeff created more than 100 posters announcing television shows, museum exhibitions, and other cultural events, all crafted with a fantastic sense of colour, form, typography, and visual connections.