Stephin Merritt Writing a Book of Poetry

Stephin Merritt must share my love of Scrabble. The musician, who is best known for being the principal singer and songwriter in the indie pop band The Magnetic Fields, is writing a book of poetry that was inspired by the classic word game.
 

Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt, a multi-instrumentalist who can masterfully turn a phrase.
Image via ew.com

The forthcoming book, titled 101 Two-Letter Words, will be filled with original four-line poems written by Merritt. Each of the poems will be based on the 101 two-letter words that are accepted in a game of Scrabble. One of the poems in the book goes:

The country folk say "howdy-do"
but here in town, it's "yo";
they'll say it in the country too
in twenty years or so.
 

Image via brooklynvegan.com

101 Two-Letter Words features illustrations by Roz Chast. It will be published as a hardcover book and will be released by W. W. Norton and Company in October of this year. The suggested retail price is $19.95. Called "a witty and unique book in celebration of two-letter words" by the marketing team at Norton, the book is already getting endorsements:

"When I have no Scrabble move,
I really cannot bear it.
From Aa to Za, help has arrived —
Why, thank you, Stephin Merritt!" — Lemony Snicket

Now let me put on "You, You, You, You, You" from The 6ths' album Hyacinths and Thistles (another one of Merritt's creative endeavors) before I pull my Scrabble game down from the top of the closet.