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It is my guess that readers of this column tend to be regular readers of the journal—as opposed to those who read selected articles found via a targeted search on a topic of specific interest, or assigned by a course instructor. I assume that these regular readers are either researchers who are writers, or else connoisseurs of research and writing. If either of these is true for you, then I have a suggestion for your summer reading list. In case you haven’t found it yet, Alphabet Juice by Roy Blount, Jr. (2008, Sarah Crichton Books) is the perfect “chaise lounge read,” just the right combination of an intriguing, entertaining book that is easy to peruse in bits and spurts.

The subtitle of this witty book says much about the contents and Blount’s approach to it: The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, Tinctures, Tonics and Essences; With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory! [exclamation point mine!]. From the discussion on the very first page about what a pig really “says” in various languages (great curricular connection to the pig that says “griffey, griffey” in the folksong Cat Says “Fiddle-i-Fee”), to the last word discussed in the book, which also is related to sound (p. 364: Zyzzava, defined as “a class of weevils . . .from the sound that that weevil characteristically makes”), the book is filled with interesting tidbits about words or expressions and their origins, pronunciations, and meanings. In fact, there are indications throughout the book that the author was particularly attuned to the relationships between the sounds of words and their meanings.

Blount wrote that he hoped “this book will be useful to anyone who wants to write better” (p. 8). Although that may not be true in a literal sense, and especially not for an audience of academic researchers, it certainly will inspire readers to think in new and imaginative ways about arcane issues of grammar and about words and their origins, definitions, usage, and power. If you have never considered why “rhythm” is spelled with the “h” and “y,” but want to read an informative, clever commentary about topics such as this, then Alphabet Juice may be the perfect book for you!