I received an email from Sue in response to my 2012(!) post for ABC Wednesday titled G is for Gerrymander:
Hello, Roger! I came upon you and your blog while searching for a book that my partner recalls from his childhood. The book was a gift from his aunt who visited NYC around 1960. It was an alphabet book, and the letter “G” was for Gerrymander.
He proceeded to tell me the history of the word gerrymander(ing) in very much the same way that you have. In any event, I am wondering if you know the book I mentioned. If we knew the title, I could search, maybe on Abe’s List or one of those sites.
Sue – First of all, I am oddly pleased someone else out there is as passionate, or possibly geeky, about political science as I am.
I’ve been fascinated by gerrymandering since I discovered that the pronunciation of Edmund Gerry’s last name is DIFFERENT from the word: “Gary” vs. “Jerry.”
I don’t know the book. But I did come across this: Ferguson, Charles W. (Charles Wright). 1964. The abecedarian book, Boston: Little Brown, which does have G is for Gerrymander: https://library.
The cover above is from The Abecedarian Book: “an alphabet book of big words for adults with the curiosity of children with the capacity of adults.” The illustrator was John Alcorn. I see the book is available at Abe’s Books for $15-$45. Ferguson also wrote Naked to Mine Enemies: The Life of Cardinal Wolsey, also available from Abe’s.
In a similar vein, check out “Expressing Your Anger at Gerrymandering?” Ugly Gerry is a font series created from graphics of real Congressional districts.
