The Word Circus: A Letter-Perfect Book
Language: English
Published by Merriam-Webster, Inc., New York, 1998
- First Edition
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: Maxwell's House of Books, La Mesa, CA, U.S.A.Maxwell's House of Books
AbeBooks seller since January 3, 2025
Condition: Used - Very good
£ 26.61
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Lighter Side of Language Series. Clean, crisp hardcover in very good condition; faintly stained lower edge. Near fine DJ lightly rubbed. INSCRIBED by the author.
Seller Inventory # 045808
- Title
- The Word Circus: A Letter-Perfect Book
- Author
- Richard Lederer
- Publisher
- Merriam-Webster, Inc., New York
- Publication year
- 1998
- Condition
- Very Good
- Dust jacket
- Near Fine
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0877793549
- ISBN 13
- 9780877793540
- Illustrator
- Dave Morice
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Dimensions
- 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall
- Series
- Book 1 of 1: Lighter Side of Language
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From the Author
Quite honestly, THE WORD CIRCUS is the one landmark book I have to bequeath to this planet -- the biggest and brightest arrow in my language quiver. The foundation of the book is that "Words are works of art." My goal is to make the alphabet dance for you with anagrams, palindromes, and a circus tent full of other acts of letter play. Merriam-Webster has done a terrific job in producing a handsome hardcover book, and 386 color illustrations by my brilliant artist, Dave Morice, add to the look and help lift the text. Using 77 poems and 14 circus acts -- each a metaphor for a type of letter dance -- I attempt here to create a celebration of letter play that will be accessible to a broad range of readers.
Perhaps the "After Word" best sums up my aspirations for this circus of words:
Nothing now to mark the spot/ But a littered, vacant lot --/ Sawdust in a heap and where/ The center ring stood, grass worn bare./
But remains the alphabet,/ Ready to leap and pirouette./ May the spangled letters soar/ In your head forevermore.
Writing THE WORD CIRCUS has been the most joyful experience of my life. I hope you'll lose yourself in the text, as I did for three years. May all your days be circus days!
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Maxwell's House of Books
La Mesa, CA, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since January 3, 2025
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Maxwell's House of Books is a quality used book store located in the heart of the quaint village of La Mesa, California. We are a small, family-owned general store with a special emphasis on scholarly material (i.e., philosophy, history, literature, literary criticism). Store hours are 11 am - 4:30 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and 12 pm to 4 pm on Sundays.
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Maxwell's House of Books
CA, U.S.A.
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