A brand new 52-page booklet by Ian Lynam that examines notions of authenticity through the lens of design, consumption, and history.

The desire to be authentic—to live an authentic life—stands as one of the greatest driving forces of life today. Authenticity is also one of the biggest myths of the contemporary moment: a symbolic construct predicated on our relationships to consumer culture that seemingly helps us to define choices we make in how to live our lives. The drive for authentic goods and experiences fuels desire and like an enticing bit of social media, the sense of satisfaction vanishes into the stream of experience incredibly quickly once digested.

Authenticity is something that folks from a variety of creative fields grapple with. This includes designers, artists, photographers, illustrators, marketers, and philosophers. The Letter I has been written to help unpack why we feel so schizophrenic about our relationship with authenticity and consumption.

Topics include the history of public relations; the assorted meanings of authenticity; the relationship between authenticity and nostalgia; the Beatles; authenticity and heroism; the meaning of taste; the relationship between authenticity and social media; authenticity and the gig economy.

Edited by Taro Nettleton

Designed by Ian Lynam

Published by Wordshape, 2020

Softcover with gatefold, 48 pages, 4-color offset cover with 1-color interior, 5.8 × 8.3 inches