C is for Chronic City from Jane Hanstein Cunniffe on Vimeo.   on Flickr (higher res)

PROJECTalphabet presents C is for CHRONIC CITY, the much-anticipated
new alphabet book inspired by and celebrating Jonathan Lethem’s Chronic City.
Photographs by Jane Hanstein Cunniffe. Music by Chet Baker.

It didn’t seem fair that Jonathan Lethem's toddler son not be able to read his father’s eighth novel, Chronic City (Doubleday, $27.95). Cunniffe thought the book needed an alphabet (what doesn't?)—a drug-free edition. Hijacked with his blessings, “C for Chronic sounds insane and great…Please do this!!” Lethem e-mailed. Because really, what kid wouldn’t want to learn to read with a boy from Indiana and a three-legged pitbull?

PROJECTalphabet is a free template that provides a totally engaging way for kids to learn to read.This is our first foray into Lit for Tots. It's a work in progress, suggestions are welcome. Our goal: to bring PROJECTalphabet® to the White House, Oprah and/or a heroic big box store. From Ava to Zelig, we hope you enjoy the ride.




CREDITS
Thank you to Gregory Nemec, standing in for Perkus Tooth as the Pencil...and the glue.
To Woody Allen for The Kugelmass Episode; To Flaubert for Emma Bovary.

These ABCs are a work of fiction. Names, characters the product of Jonathan Lethem’s imagination and borrowed with permission from Chronic City. Quotes, names and passages from Chronic City copyright 2009 © by Jonathan Lethem. All rights reserved. Doubleday, Doubleday. A division of Random House.