Splendid! There’s a poet and storyteller I love, Ross Sutherland, who sometimes works with these kinds of limitations from that movement. His podcast is called Imaginary Advice, and he’s marvelous.
George Perec wrote an entire novel without using the letter 'E'. Considering 'E' is the most commonly-used letter in English, that's quite an accomplishment. Even more impressive perhaps, the English translation has also been executed without using the letter 'E'. The novel is called A Void, should anyone wish to buy or borrow it.
Glad I inspired you, Mark! It was an accomplished piece of work. For anyone interested, the challenge to write something without using the letter 'A' was one of the Oulipo prompts I set in this post: https://terryfreedman.substack.com/p/oulipo-writing-prompts
I'm hoping 🙏 my schedule will permit me to take the next Oulipo course that Terry's teaching at City Lit College, Mark! Now that'll keep me quiet for a whole weekend... 😉
I know - and just as well - I don't get out much...! 😉
(No, I do go out - but I don't mix indoors with other people unless I can avoid it - we're still Covid-terrified in this house! Online learning is DEFINITELY my jam these days.)
Splendid! There’s a poet and storyteller I love, Ross Sutherland, who sometimes works with these kinds of limitations from that movement. His podcast is called Imaginary Advice, and he’s marvelous.
Great suggestion, Mark! And wow--that many works without the letter “A” was a feat!
I think I'll try omitting the letter U next time, it might be a bit easier...
George Perec wrote an entire novel without using the letter 'E'. Considering 'E' is the most commonly-used letter in English, that's quite an accomplishment. Even more impressive perhaps, the English translation has also been executed without using the letter 'E'. The novel is called A Void, should anyone wish to buy or borrow it.
Reckon e e cummings would have struggled without the letter 'E'...! He'd forever be known by just his surname! 🤣
🤣 It sounds like the sort of name you would hear in an English public school or the Civil Service of the 1950s: "Ah, Cummings, about this essay...:"
Yes, and if had to refer to my own name in "The Other 25" I'd have been stuck.
Incidentally, not being able to use the word a is VERY LIMITING!!!!
🤣
Great, Advice! Mark, I'm not an author. I enjoy reading everyone's short stories.
Such a great exercise, Mark - thanks!
Thanks, I should have given our mutual friend Terry the credit for the inspiration but it completely slipped my mind!
Glad I inspired you, Mark! It was an accomplished piece of work. For anyone interested, the challenge to write something without using the letter 'A' was one of the Oulipo prompts I set in this post: https://terryfreedman.substack.com/p/oulipo-writing-prompts
I'm hoping 🙏 my schedule will permit me to take the next Oulipo course that Terry's teaching at City Lit College, Mark! Now that'll keep me quiet for a whole weekend... 😉
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/writing-the-oulipo-a-taster/
Thanks, Rebecca, it would be lovely to see you 'there' (it's online) 😀
I know - and just as well - I don't get out much...! 😉
(No, I do go out - but I don't mix indoors with other people unless I can avoid it - we're still Covid-terrified in this house! Online learning is DEFINITELY my jam these days.)
Same here. I even try to avoid Elaine 🤣
🤣 For which, of course, she might even be grateful...! 😉 (JOKING!)
So happy that the twist wasn’t ChatGPT!
Same!
Oh wow! That's quite a twist at the end. Bravo, Mark! As if writing an interesting post isn't difficult enough!
Nice, Mark! Reminds me of a bit in Gilmore Girls where a group is conversing without using the letter E.
I can't imagine!
Clever!
Thanks Mark!
Superb fet, Mark!
Thanks!
Great post! This is interesting and helpful. Thank you Mark.
It was tough. I can't imagine omitting the letter E, that would be insane!
YES!..lol. I need the E!
I need them all.....! 🙄🤣
I'm going to try my hand at that! Oh look: I DID it! 😉
Look at you!! Bravo! :)
And YOU! Fabulous!
:)