Alphabet of Love Serial by Lou Rowan and Alphabetique by Molly Peacock are collections of stories based on the alphabet . But their takes on the adult ABC book are widely divergent. Lou’s J, for instance, spent his years from 20-36 in a druggy daze, whereupon he became a runner and attempted to feign an interest in sports to become a more typical American. Molly’s J is a woman who makes orange jam to forget about being jilted, while her daughter, Jiggle, juggles. Lou uses the letters in the manner of a roman a clé, to mask the identities of real people. Molly embraces the shapes and timbre of the letters to mold an alliterative narrative. A book club would have a wonderful time comparing and contrasting these two works.
