Research Catalog

Title

Alphabetical Africa / by Walter Abish.

Author

Abish, Walter

Publication

• New York : New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1974.
• ©1974

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Laughlin, James, 1914-1997
• Huston, Gertrude, 1919-1998
• New Directions Publishing, publisher.
• James Laughlin's library of New Directions imprints.

Description

152 pages; 21 cm.

Summary

"A linguistic tour de force, high comedy set in an imaginary dark continent that expands and contracts with ineluctable precision, as one by one the author adds the letters of the alphabet to his book, and then subtracts them. While the 'geoglyphic' African landscape forms and crumbles, it is, among other things, attacked by an army of driver ants, invaded by Zanzibar, painted orange by the transvestite Queen Quat of Tanzania, and becomes a hunting ground for a pair of murderous jewel thieves tracking down their nymphomaniac moll."--Provided by publisher.

Series Statement

• New Directions paperbook ; 375
• NDP375

Subject

• Africa > Fiction

Genre/Form

• Experimental fiction.
• Novellas.
• Alphabet books.
• Dust jackets (Binding) – New York – United States – 20th century.
• Fiction.

Note

• "First published clothbound ... and as New Directions paperbook 375 ... in 1974"--Title page verso.
• "A New Directions book" -- title page.
• "New Directions Books are published for James Laughlin by New Directions Publishing Corporation" -- title page verso.

Indexed In (note)

• Harrison, J.A. Published for James Laughlin

Provenance (note)

• inscribed: "To James - This is (or was) his title. Now - ha ha - it's mine. With love, Walter" in ink, on half title.
• inscribed: "To J. With many thanks for the title, and for everything else. Affectionately, Walter. June 14, '17" in ink, on half title.

Binding (note)

• bound in publishers' orange cloth; with original dust jacket designed by Gertrude Huston. Jacket photograph of Walter Abish by Cecile Abish.
• bound in publishers' paperback binding, cover designed by Gertrude Huston.

Call Number

Sc Fic-A (Abish, W. Alphabetical Africa)

ISBN

• 0811205320
• 9780811205320
• 9780811205337
• 0811205339

LCCN

73089478

OCLC

940414

Author

Abish, Walter, author.

Title

Alphabetical Africa / by Walter Abish.

Publisher

New York : New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1974.

Copyright Date

©1974

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

New Directions paperbook ; 375

NDP375

Indexed In:

Harrison, J.A. Published for James Laughlin, p. 83

Provenance

Copy in Berg Coll 22-501 inscribed: "To James - This is (or was) his title. Now - ha ha - it's mine. With love, Walter" in ink, on half title. NN

Copy in Berg Coll 22-502 inscribed: "To J. With many thanks for the title, and for everything else. Affectionately, Walter. June 14, '17" in ink, on half title. NN

Binding

Copy in Berg Coll 22-501 bound in publishers' orange cloth; with original dust jacket designed by Gertrude Huston. Jacket photograph of Walter Abish by Cecile Abish. NN

Copy in Berg Coll 22-502 bound in publishers' orange cloth; with original dust jacket designed by Gertrude Huston. Jacket photograph of Walter Abish by Cecile Abish. NN

Copy in Berg Coll 22-503 bound in publishers' paperback binding, cover designed by Gertrude Huston. NN

Local Note

Copies in Berg Coll 22-501, 22-502 and 22-503 acquired from Leila and Daniel Javitch, 2021.

Added Author

Laughlin, James, 1914-1997, publisher.

Huston, Gertrude, 1919-1998, cover designer.

New Directions Publishing, publisher.

Javitch, Leila Laughlin, donor.

Javitch, Daniel, donor.

Laughlin, James, 1914-1997, former owner.

James Laughlin's library of New Directions imprints.

Research Call Number

Berg Coll 22-501

Berg Coll 22-502

Berg Coll 22-503

Sc Fic-A (Abish, W. Alphabetical Africa)