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.