Books: Summer 2026

Typography Beyond Borders

Sherry Muyuan He ’16 has spent her career thinking across borders. Now an associate professor of electronic design and multimedia at the City College of New York, He has channeled that curiosity into her new book, Typography Beyond Borders: Design with Multiscriptual Typographic Elements (BIS, 2025). Created to be a resource for designers and educators working with non-Latin scripts, it challenges the field’s reliance on Western, Latin-script design traditions. But the book is as much about joy as it is about breaking barriers—one of her goals is to ensure that “everyone learns as comfortably as they feel when they rest on a pizza bed.”

Where did the impulse to write this book come from?

At my current job, I have students from many different countries. Their native languages are written in Arabic, Cyrillic, Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, and many more. Is there a way to make them more excited about design? Frequently, when educators and researchers approach diversity, equity, and inclusion, it is about responsibilities and overcoming challenges. But there is also joy and innovation. It is really fun to share how many different ways Arabic letters connect with people who do not read Arabic regularly.

How do you hope your book will create a more inclusive world?

The most important thing is not to focus on checking boxes or having the “visuals” of diversity. It is about welcoming, learning, and absorbing as many different perspectives as possible. Yo-Yo Ma used the word “world wisdom bank” in one of his interviews, which I like very much.

How did your time at Macalester shape the way you think about type, script, and design?

Most of the time, I am not thinking directly about type and script; I am seeking connections between things that don’t seem to share any commonalities. I started my Macalester education with one year of elementary Arabic, and I took one year of intermediate Japanese simultaneously. There was no Arabic House back then, so I spent more time in the Japan House. After that, I took the course that is currently named Sounds of the World’s Languages in the Linguistics Department. All of these experiences, both in and outside the classroom, contribute to my understanding. There is something that people learn with their brains, and there is something that people learn with their hearts.

What was the most challenging part of putting this book together?

Every part is challenging! Looking for publishers was stressful. The concept was so novel that I got rejected as soon as I delivered the summary. With that said, I got an offer after many years. My Dutch publisher granted me full freedom to write, design, and illustrate the book.

Additional Titles

Deanna Ferree Womack ’04. Re-Inventing Islam: Gender and the Protestant Roots of American Islamophobia (Oxford University Press, 2025)

Sarah Rossmann Deschamps ’88. I Couldn’t Tell You: The True Story of a Mother and Daughter’s Journey to Overcome Their Mental Health Demons (Gatekeeper Press, 2026)