BARRY MORENTZ’s love for language and handwriting led to formal calligraphic studies, primarily with Sheila Waters, in 1977, and eventually with Gottfried Pott, Hermann Zapf, and numerous calligraphic luminaries. A highlight of his education was paleographic studies in Rome and the Vatican Library. In his mid-town Manhattan residence he creates calligraphic works and hand-made books, boxes, and portfolios. He has taught at 5 international conferences and has led workshops throughout the US and Canada, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Singapore. In 2017 he made a featured presentation at the famed Pen Museum in Birmingham, UK, the site of steel nib manufacture for nearly 100 years.

After 43 years he remains fascinated and challenged by the power and beauty of letterforms to dramatically convey the emotional power of a text, especially those of Shakespeare and Danté. When not slumped over his writing desk he spends his time reading Shakespearean studies, cooking, and bombing out on Wagnerian opera.