THREE LINES IN A CIRCLE

A simple sketch that holds so much.

Gerald Holtom first designed the peace symbol in 1958. But this celebration begins with Gerry, a tall, thin man with pale skin and a mop of shaggy brown hair, at his drafting table, hoping to “draw his dream.” Without any historical context, Long explains in his free-verse text that this man’s dream is “a world without bombs.” Gerry draws three lines and encloses them in a circle. He shares the design with others, and one person says, “It doesn’t mean a thing, / and it will never catch on.” However, it definitely does. It begins in England but swiftly travels, showing up in rallies and marches across the world. It stands for “peace / for all / and especially for / Black people / and / Brown people / women / and / poor people / LGBTQ+ people / and / people with disabilities.” Long strengthens readers’ connection to the symbol by ending with those three lines in a circle “catching on, / fighting on, / moving on… / TO / YOU.” Vibrant throngs of all kinds of people fill the pages. The inspiration behind the design is buried in the backmatter (though hinted at in the illustrations), and much more of its history is revealed there, but the spare text echoes the spare symbol. It stands powerfully on its own.

Grounded in the discussion of a design, the heart of peace beats on.