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LITTLE:
NOVELS BY EMILY ANDERSON
B L A Z E V O X [ B O O K S ] Buffalo, New York
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Little: Novels by Emily Anderson Copyright 2015 Published by
BlazeVOX [books] All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced without the publishers written permission, except for
brief quotations in reviews. Printed in the United States of
America Interior design and typesetting by Geoffrey Gatza Cover Art
by Abbey Scheckter First Edition ISBN: 978-1-60964-132-0 Library of
Congress Control Number: 2015930368 BlazeVOX [books] 131 Euclid Ave
Kenmore, NY 14217 [email protected]
publisher of weird little books BlazeVOX [ books ]
blazevox.org
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Preface
These little novels have been extracted from Laura Ingalls
Wilders Little House books. I erased paragraphs, sentences, words
and (occasionally) individual letters from each of Wilders novels
to create an alternate series. Here and there Ive added an s or an
and, but I largely refrained from adding letters and words, with
the exception of footnotes. The text appears in the order of the
original books. Erasure (or writing the negative space of the
story) reveals new aspects of a text and allows familiar narratives
to resonate differently. Part parody, part homage, I see my process
as parallel to that of Wilders pioneer characters: like Ma and Pa,
I appropriate the resources I findin my case, words in a given
order; in theirs, sod, trees, stones, waterto reshape a landscape.
Writing this book allowed me to spend time reveling in the
imaginative possibilities Wilders delightful and frequently
troubling books propose. Geoffrey Gatza observed that Garth
Williams iconic illustrations of Wilders novels merited a visual
response. While I collaborated with Wilders text, I invited artists
to work with Little House and/or my writing and contribute images.
The diversity of their responses to these narratives helps me to
see this projectand the books Ive loved since childhoodin new ways.
Whether their contributions took the form of illustration or
interruption, each artist approached
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this project differently. Michael Robinson generously
contributed a still from his extraordinary Hold Me Now (standard
definition video, 2008), while Nathan Anderson, Brad Farwell,
Brieanne Hauger, Adam Martin, Jen Morris, Abbey Scheckter, and Anne
Straarup created new work. I especially want to thank Brieanne
Hauger, whose literary and visual talents and ongoing support
helped me ford this river.
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List of Illustrations
Table of Contents . . . Found marginalia Little Woods . . .
Found marginalia Little Woods Drawings . . . Nathan Anderson Farm .
. . Adam Martin Our Air . . . Brieanne Hauger On Banks . . . Brad
Farwell Silver . . . Anne Straarup Long . . . Brieanne Hauger
Michael Landon Laughs . . . Brieanne Hauger Hold Me Now . . .
Michael Robinson Years & Years . . . Jen Morris Cover . . .
Abbey Scheckter
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LITTLE
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Little Woods
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Chapter 1. Little Woods He sprinkled salt. Never interrupt.
Chapter 2. Winter and Winter Up on its legs, her little cup.
Chapter 3. Rifle Dark ravines, calling and looking.
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Chapter 4. Christmas The ravine was asleep beautifully under the
blankets.
At the same momentbits of silk.
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Chapter 5. Sun The boys walked slowly, tanned.
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Chapter 6. Two Bears
(She wasnt afraid).
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Chapter 7. Snow The sap boils. The sap has boiled at last. Keep
the sap boiling.
Chapter 8. Dance He blew his bugle & they braided snow.
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Chapter 9. Town Little leaf cups fastened across the rabbits.
Chapter 10. Time The empty pail, jumping with excitement.
Chapter 11. Harvest. A shock. Yellow jackets?
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Chapter 12. Wonderful
Berries, purple-topped turnips and bubbles for supper.
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Chapter 13. Deer He sprinkled salt. He took his gun, her little
chair. The sky climbed down out of the tree.
