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A is for Edelweiss

by Jerald E. Noran

An alphabet of English-language oddities

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AlbakiReads Editorial

An alphabet of English-language oddities

Jerald E. Noran turns a long-running collection of short verse into an abecedarium about the mismatches between English spelling and pronunciation. The poems take several compact forms—including couplets, tercets, quatrains, and sestains—and gather around the quirks and inconsistencies of the language. The alphabet provides the organizing structure, though the source notes that some letters resist unusual treatment. Noran’s opening examples also point to a broader comic interest in mismatches, from the sounds in his own names to the orientation of piano notation and keyboards. The book sits at the intersection of wordplay, humor, and formal verse.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Adults who enjoy humorous verse and wordplay.
  • Readers interested in English spelling and pronunciation.
  • Readers curious about alphabetically organized poetry in short forms.

Themes

English spelling and pronunciationLanguage inconsistencyWordplay and humorShort-form verse

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Jerald Eugene Noran could never understand why it took two different consonants to make the same sound in his first and second names. Or why his middle name didn't start with the letter U. Or why piano chords are written vertically and piano keyboards are oriented horizontally (but that's another story). This abecedarium is the result of decades of writing couplets, tercets, quatrains and sestains on tiny scraps of paper, regarding the inconsistencies of spelling and pronunciation in the English language. When did it become apparent that these scraps of paper could be compiled into an abecedarium? Not until it was done, because certain letters refused to be anything but ordinary. Typical for the English language: nothing is consistent, including its inconsistency.

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