the alphabet game

The Alphabet Game is exactly that: a game, a playful and clever cross-section of Can-Lit legend bpNichol’s work, a continuous exploration of the pun as a means to shift and re-invent language.

Those who have lamented the passing of the previous bpNichol reader, An H in the Heart, rejoice! The Alphabet Game is here to introduce a new generation of readers to the work of one of Canada’s most eclectic and exciting poets. An H in the Heart, Michael Ondaatje and George Bowering’s assemblage (McClelland & Stewart, 1994), was the staple introductory text—but it went out of print.

Over the past little while, Torontoist has been quietly absorbed in The Alphabet Game: A bpNichol Reader. Edited by Darren Wershler-Henry and Lori Emerson, The Alphabet Game is an essential anthology for any reader of bpNichol, and is a great starting point for those who have yet to discover his work.

Nichol, who is probably most well-known for his concrete and visual poetry, had achieved many things before dying at the age of 44.