Ella Minnow Pea
A Novel in Letters
By Mark Dunn
(Anchor, Paperback, 9780385722438, 224pp.)
Publication Date: September 17, 2002
Other Editions of This Title: Prebound (September 2002)
Categories: Literary
 |     |
Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal pangram,* “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island’s Council, which has banned the use of certain letters of the alphabet as they fall from a memorial statue of Nevin Nollop. As the letters progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. The result is both a hilarious and moving story of one girl’s fight for freedom of expression, as well as a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere.
*pangram: a sentence or phrase that includes all the letters of the alphabet
Mark Dunn is the author of more than twenty-five full-length plays. Belles and Five Tellers Dancing in the Rain have together received over 150 productions throughout the world, and Dunn has been the recipient of several national playwriting awards. He is currently playwright-in-residence with the New Jersey Repertory Company and the Community Theatre League in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Originally from Memphis, he now lives in Greenwich Village with his wife, Mary. Ella Minnow Pea is his first novel.
“There’s the whiff of a classic about Ella Minnow Pea.” —The Christian Science Monitor
“A love letter to alphabetarians and logomaniacs everywhere.” --Myla Goldberg
“A curiously compelling . . . satire of human foibles, and a light-stepping commentary on censorship and totalitarianism.” --The Philadelphia Inquirer
“This exceptional, zany book will quickly make you laugh.” --Dallas Morning Herald
 |
The Privileges Jonathan Dee Random House |
 |
The Unnamed Joshua Ferris Reagan Arthur Books |
 |
Committed Elizabeth Gilbert Viking Adult |
 |
The Crossing Places Elly Griffiths Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
