I thought that writing a paragraph without an – oops, without…you know, was too difficult. So I put off doing it for a substantial duration. Could I do it? Could any paragraph stand intact without that most common but important of functional alpha-signs? I took up my, you know, my whatyacallit…writing thingy – Biro, and got down to it, annoying my poor brain for hours until it actually hurt. Two Asprin now, two again by and by, but no mitigation. Finally and in agony, I quit. I was a bird-brain, a dimwit – cast down by a tiny, silly symbol. I could not do it. Impossible…
Fugitive Fragments 
Very good …
I wonder … have you heard of the book entitled “Void” (Verba Mundi) by Georges Perec? It’s a 300 page novel, written in French, without using the letter “e” … and, even more brilliantly … the English translation of the book also contains no “e” …
I was so impressed after reading it that I sat down to attempt a small exercise in e-less writing .. I think your paragraph is much longer than mine was. I finally gave up. 🙂
‘Void’ is new to me John but I’ve read ‘Gadsby’ by Ernest Vincent Wright (1939). Gluttons for punishment all! Once is enough (:
LOL ! Yes, there are some books one will only wade through once …
did the terrible concept of e books inspire your e less venture? I would never touch an e book being happy with my library of the real things – but would not go as far as neglecting to use the darling little e
I was told about a book, ‘Gadsby’ by Ernest Vincent Wright (1939), a novel written entirely without using the letter ‘e’. Anecdotally the author’s most significant problem writing it was having to continually alter the plot when he couldn’t proceed beyond a certain point without the useful vowel! As you can see, I lasted one paragraph and felt no desire to continue…
doing without e reminds me Indian yogis who remain fasting so that they find enlightenment – that was probably the reason Wright wrote that book – alas enlightenment and earnest both begin with an e.
wow, what a brilliant attempt.. different thinking.. and successful too
Thank you, it’s kind of you to say so.
Well, that made me chuckle. Writing a great paragraph is clearly too easy for you and you must set up hurdles to make the challenge more satisfying. Impressive.
For my sins Jackie. Thank you.
Whoa. That’s so good, from start to finish. Smart work, and not, as you say, impossible.
Thanks Melanie, I’ll be over shortly looking for your third installment 🙂
I’ve been writing them on Wednesday nights, which, I think, is Thursday morning for you.
Brilliant. And your composition’s last word works on so many.. umm.. you know.. synonym for ‘pulls down’.
How about…basterdise? Contaminate? ‘Brilliant’ is also a fine word and I am humbled that you have applied it here.
Actually, I meant ‘levels’. Didn’t use it in my comment earlier because I was trying to emulate you and write a sentence without the letter ‘e’ in it. And couldn’t do it, evidently.
Levels/Pulls down – that went right over the top of my dense head! I feel foolish for not recognising that you had joined in the game 😦
haha.. thank you for being so polite 🙂
Hahahahaha! I could find a thousand diversions before attempting anything like that. Bravo, to you Mike!
Thank you kind sir and judging by your blog you have worked on every one of those thousand!
Oh! Oh! You are the Mike. I was wracking my brain trying to place which very poetic “Mike” left the very poetic comment on the poem in my blog. Now I feel like I can properly thank you. And, I do!