Literature Emitting Diodes published poetry and prose on a scrolling LED sign, archived the works online each month, and ultimately collected them in a print anthology. The anthology was designed to address the advantages and shortcomings of print over the other two formats. The cover design was critical in not only attracting readers, but in connecting the anthology to the project’s core—the scrolling LED sign. The cover features a continuous text listing titles, authors, and the neighborhoods where the pieces were presented. A subtle color break is all that differentiates the stream of words. The table of contents lists pieces by month rather than title, and provides their location on a map in addition to the page number. As a supplement to the LED display and online archive, the book is able to dispense with certain conventions and must emphasize others.
The inside text of the anthology shows each piece alongside documentation of its installation. The images give readers who didn’t view the piece in situ a bit of context and capture some of the sense of serendipity in encountering these works in a storefront window.
