An epistolary novel set on a fictional island off the South Carolina coastline, Ella Minnow Pea brings readers to the hometown of Nevin Nollop, inventor of the pangram "The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog." Deified for his achievement in life, Nevin has been honored in death with a monument featuring his famous phrase. One day, however, the letter Z falls from the monument, and some of the islanders interpret the missing tile as a message from beyond the grave. The letter Z is banned from use. On an island where the residents pride them-selves on their love of language, this is seen as a tragedy. They are still reeling from the shock when another tile falls. And then another...In his charming debut, first published in 2001, Mark Dunn took readers on a journey through the eyes of Ella Minnow Pea, a young woman forced to create another clever turn of phrase in order to save the islanders' beloved language. About the author: Mark Dunn is the author of more than twenty-five full-length plays that have been produced nationwide and beyond. His debut novel, Ella Minnow Pea, was winner of the Borders Original Voices Book of the Year award, a finalist for the Book Sense Book of the Year award, and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selected title. His second novel, Welcome to Higby, was published in 2003, followed by 2004's Ibid. He is currently at work on a children's book and a novel, both forthcoming from MacAdam/Cage.
An epistolary novel set on a fictional island off the South Carolina coastline, Ella Minnow Pea brings readers to the hometown of Nevin Nollop, inventor of the pangram "The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog." Deified for his achievement in life, Nevin has been honored in death with a monument featuring his famous phrase. One day, however, the letter Z falls from the monument, and some of the islanders interpret the missing tile as a message from beyond the grave. The letter Z is banned from use. On an island where the residents pride them-selves on their love of language, this is seen as a tragedy. They are still reeling from the shock when another tile falls. And then another...In his charming debut, first published in 2001, Mark Dunn took readers on a journey through the eyes of Ella Minnow Pea, a young woman forced to create another clever turn of phrase in order to save the islanders' beloved language. About the author: Mark Dunn is the author of more than twenty-five full-length plays that have been produced nationwide and beyond. His debut novel, Ella Minnow Pea, was winner of the Borders Original Voices Book of the Year award, a finalist for the Book Sense Book of the Year award, and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selected title. His second novel, Welcome to Higby, was published in 2003, followed by 2004's Ibid. He is currently at work on a children's book and a novel, both forthcoming from MacAdam/Cage.
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1 books in catalog
Epistolary fiction and southern theatrical storytelling converge in the works of American novelist and playwright Mark Dunn, whose lipogrammatic debut novel Ella Minnow Pea established his reputation for inventive constraint-based narrative. Published in 2001, the book explores the gradual erosion of language and personal freedom on a fictional island where letters of the alphabet are systematically outlawed.
Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Mark Dunn developed an early passion for writing while growing up near Graceland. He studied film at Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) before completing graduate coursework in screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin. In 1987, Dunn relocated to New York City, spending fifteen years working at the New York Public Library while writing plays during his off-hours. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he has written over thirty plays and multiple prose works, eventually relocating from New York to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Dunn's body of work frequently draws upon the settings, speech patterns, and culture of the American South. In his theatrical writing, he specializes in ensemble comedies centered on southern women, tailored to resonate on regional, college, and community stages. Works such as Belles and Five Tellers Dancing in the Rain demonstrate his focus on interpersonal bonds and sharp dialogue. In his prose fiction, Dunn combines satire, linguistic games, and epistolary formatting to examine themes of censorship, administrative overreach, and the vital power of language.
1 books in catalog
Epistolary fiction and southern theatrical storytelling converge in the works of American novelist and playwright Mark Dunn, whose lipogrammatic debut novel Ella Minnow Pea established his reputation for inventive constraint-based narrative. Published in 2001, the book explores the gradual erosion of language and personal freedom on a fictional island where letters of the alphabet are systematically outlawed.
Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Mark Dunn developed an early passion for writing while growing up near Graceland. He studied film at Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) before completing graduate coursework in screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin. In 1987, Dunn relocated to New York City, spending fifteen years working at the New York Public Library while writing plays during his off-hours. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he has written over thirty plays and multiple prose works, eventually relocating from New York to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Dunn's body of work frequently draws upon the settings, speech patterns, and culture of the American South. In his theatrical writing, he specializes in ensemble comedies centered on southern women, tailored to resonate on regional, college, and community stages. Works such as Belles and Five Tellers Dancing in the Rain demonstrate his focus on interpersonal bonds and sharp dialogue. In his prose fiction, Dunn combines satire, linguistic games, and epistolary formatting to examine themes of censorship, administrative overreach, and the vital power of language.
