Instant Lives

By Howard Moss

Book Overview

A literary humor classic--fractured biographical moments from the lives of great writers and composers.

This is a collection of mostly imagined encounters between literary figures and their real or imagined family members, friends, and bitter enemies. In Howard Moss's satirical voice and Edward Gorey's twenty-five deadpan illustrations, we see Jane Austen wielding artful passive aggression and Sense and Sensibility galleys, the Alcott girls sculpting fudge, the rise of Emily Dickinson's ruthless witch hazel business, among other delights.

Perfect for those who love literature too much to hold it closely to actual facts.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1567926517
• ISBN13: 9781567926514
• Release Date: October 2019
• Publisher: David R. Godine Publisher
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Lit-Wit at its BEST

Instant Lives features 36 remarkable parodies of famous artists (writers, musicians, artists) -- everyone from Austen to Huxley to Gauguin to Mozart. Every chapter overflows with dry wit mixed with a deep understanding of the artists portrayed. Highly recommend.