Jonathan Sawday teaches at Saint Louis University. Blanks, Print, Space and Void in English Renaissance Literature is out next month.
In How to be Topp (1954), Nigel Molesworth unveils ‘the Molesworth Self-Adjusting Thank-you Letter’. The sender is instructed to strike out the words which don’t apply, before thanking the present-buyer for the
Train. Tractor. germ gun. kite.delicious present. sweets.Space pistol. Toy socks.
The letter ends with a blank space to be filled in with a date to remind the...
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