Alice in the Delighted States

Alice in the Delighted States by Edward Hope.

Illustrated by Rea Irvin, who was the first art editor of the New Yorker.

Published by The Dial Press, Lincoln Mac Veagh, 1928. Hardback, no dust jacket.

Written as a parody of social and political foibles: Alice arrives in the Delighted States, via the stem of a drinking glass. She meets Rotarians, to whom she refuses to make a speech- the Rotarian next to commenting “That comes from being too subjunctive and makes the situation tense.”

She meets Twaddle-dum and Twiddle-dee, one labeled H. L. M.  and the other, G. J. N. A slip of paper in my copy reveals that these two are Henry L. Mencken (American journalist, essayist and critic) and George Jean Nathan (an American critic).

Later Alice begins to grow, and becomes much too large for her clothes- causing a case of Indecent Exposure. She goes to court where the lawyers of the Persecution and Pretense call ‘witlesses’ and select a jury full of frightened white rabbits, parrots, and a sleepy possum. The judge is wrapped up in red tape. A ‘very cross examination’ is interrupted by news: PRIZE BEAUTY SLAYS LOVE MATE WITH ICE PICK AFTER JAZZ PARTY IN RICH NEST, and Alice’s trial is over- Alice is advised to go into vaudeville, or write her Life Story. She ends up in Washington with elephants, donkeys and Uncle Sam, and then awakes in her father’s chair.

Edward Hope wrote for the New York Herald Tribune.

Bought on abebooks.

Sometimes available on amazon: Delighted States

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