Join author Craig Dworkin for a special reading and signing of his two newest works, Alkali and Chapter XXIV.
Alkali collects six works, including two
desert pastorals describing the sonic and luminescent landscape
surrounding the Great Salt Lake.
A brief description of Chapter XXIV: In 1761, Laurence Sterne published The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy. Chapter XXV of the fourth volumn opens:
No doubt, Sir, —there is a whole chapter wanting here—and a chasm of ten pages made in the book by it.
A jump in pagination confirms Chapter XXIV is missing.
Coinciding with the 300th anniversary of Sterne’s birth, here is the
absent chapter—a single signature designed to fit neatly into the first
edition ( R &J Dodsley, 1761). Craig Dworkin’s interpolated text
uses all historically consistent English words in which the letters f
and s can be interchanged and result in a legitimate word. Each sentence
is based on grammatical constructions found elsewhere in Sterne’s
novel.
The type, ITC Founders Caslon, includes seven pre-existing ligatures
and seven bespoke long-s ligatures created by the book designer. The
project was letterpress printed from photopolymer plates on handmade
paper including a custom Red Butte Press watermark. A typographically
illustrated cover utilizes the placement of each dash that appears in
the text and externalizes the 18th century typesetters’ practice of
using any available foundry dashes. The varying dash length and humorous
interplay of the letters f and s call attention to potentialities of
punctuation, spelling, and meaning.
Places in the signing line are reserved for those who purchase a copy of Alkali or Chapter XXIV from The King's English.
GET YOUR COPY NOW! Preorder your signed copy of Alkali or Chapter XXIV
today, by either calling the store at 801-484-9100 or ordering online.
Please specify if you will be attending the event and if you want your
book personalized.
Event date:
Thursday, October 29, 2015 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Event address:
The King's English Bookshop
1511 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84105