But, can anybody surpass a lipogrammic work of fiction in 50,000 words which first saw publication in 1939, brainchild of an author who must stay anonymous in this location? Should you wish to find inspiration in his labours, ask your local librarian for "Gadsby" by Wright.

It was Triphiodorus, a bard living 2500 springs and autumns ago, who sang of actions of humans and gods in 24 lipogrammic books all of which omit a symbol, varying from book to book.

Both authors I inform you of in my paragraphs brought forth works long prior to PC tools. On your honour, how far can you go towards surpassing said works without using such tools as a vocabulary aid? I got this far without consulting any aids of that sort but how long can I allow for this sort of frivolity? Not, alas, as much as I would wish. My boss would, I am afraid, show his disapproval, although I am not in fact outstandingly busy right now.

My strain not just in omitting our taboo symbol, but in finding topics to discuss, is starting to show I think. How humiliating to admit that now I say nothing, having nothing to say.

I will not allow failing as a possibility, but will do my utmost to inflict my ramblings on you all. It now occurs to what I might laughingly call my mind, that for you who still follow my ramblings, Jakarta is unknown, as unknown as my own history.

My origin is in Holtspur (my county is Bucks., which is not too far from London, capital of Britain, if your atlas is not to hand) but am now found in Jakarta, capital of a tropical country lying South of Asia and North of Australia (I think you know what island nation I am going on about and why it must stay anonymous). Prior to coming to Jakarta, I was in Surabaya, Bandung, and Banjarmasin (again, consult your atlas if you do not know how to find said towns).

I work (but not all day) in a law firm and I put writings going from this firm to folks ignorant of this country's hoard of words and grammar into a good form of what is now, I would say, our world's lingua franca. Too many hours a day go on AWAD's board, but linguistics and books form my joy.

Jakarta, capital city of this country, has a big population, and pollution is a major difficulty. It is on Java's North coast and is thus tropical in humidity, and hot.

If I'm boring you, you can turn for fascination to outpourings not from this author if you wish, but as an official addict I find it hard to know if I should stop, or actually I know I should stop but I can't.

Can I actually go on in this fashion until I vanquish Mr. Wright? I doubt it and so will finish at this point with 1% of his total, signing off as (my ID will not disallow all my hard work thus far, I trust):


Bingley

Bingley