A gyricon or twisting-particle display based on nonspheroidal (e.g., substantially cylindrical) optically anisotropic particles disposed in a substrate. The particles can be either bichromal or polychromal cylinders, preferably aligned parallel to one another and packed close together in a monolayer. A rotatable disposition of each particle is achievable while the particle is thus disposed in the substrate; for example, the particles can already be rotatable in the substrate, or can be rendered rotatable in the substrate by a nondestructive operation performed on the substrate. In particular, the substrate can be made up of an elastomer that is expanded by application of a fluid thereto so as to render the particles rotatable therein. A particle, when in its rotatable disposition, is not attached to the substrate. The close-packed monolayer configuration of particles provides excellent brightness characteristics and relative ease of manufacture as compared with certain other high-brightness gyricon displays. The substrate containing the cylinders can be fabricated with the swelled-elastomer techniques known from spherical-particle gyricon displays, with a simple agitation process step being used to align the cylinders within the sheeting material. Techniques for fabricating the cylinders are also disclosed.