Escapism
The following story has been written in accordance with a constraint, in true Oulipian style. The Oulipo is a writing movement based on constraints, such as omitting the use of a particular letter when composing a text.
Can you identify the constraint I used in the following story? Ignore all punctuation except a full stop. One word has no letters.
Now. I held a great interview of Eccles cakes and angst, paranoia, demagogic Tamarisk –
Coheasible and, so far, welcomer¡
What theses in excess!
What say you, Rhodites?
All of conduct consigned – crump!
, oh Mestizos, Anableps!
Such a desirable journal, a fungal phantasma
For neophobic guerrilla and vocular chaos, I!
I’ll be running a one-day workshop on writing with constraints in London on 8th June. Details here: Creative writing with constraints.
I don't get it but I loved the videos. Thanks, Terry. Hope you are feeling better soon.
Never any time. Anyone who says retirement is boring obviously doesn't know me. I'm going to add the original work I did on this just in case it sparks something to tie it all up.
There is one word of 0 letters.
There are 5 words of one letter - I, a, a, a, I
There are 5 2-letter words - of, so, in, of, oh
There are 8 3-letter words - now, and, and, far, say, you, for, and
There are 4 4-letter words - held, what, what, such
There are 5 5-letter words - great, cakes, angst, crump, chaos
There are 4 6-letter words - Eccles, theses, excess, fungal
There are 3 7-letter words - conduct, journal, vocular
There are 6 8-letter words - paranoia, rhodites, tamarisk, mestizos, welcomer, anableps
There are 7 9-letter words - interview, consigned, demagogic, desirable, phantasma, consigned, desirable, geurrilla
And one 10-letter - word - coheasible.
So I'll just say, Congratulations, in 50 words, you managed to cover all these lengths of words. I suspect the answer is staring me in the face but I don't have any more time to review all the bits and pieces I found on that first morning to come up with anything better.
Well done Professor Terry