SOLVED. contemporary fiction about language/communication making a town sick [s]

[Rachel]

My understanding of the plot is that people in a specific town are very ill, and the cause seems to be language/communication. Definitely verbal... possibly written as well - I can't remember. But the people try to speak less and less to avoid being so sick.

I heard bits of this story at a reading on a college campus a few years ago - maybe sometime around 2007 - 2009.

I think it was sort of an experimental piece of fiction by a somewhat well-known contemporary writer, but Google has not helped :)

Thank you!!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Sounds like The Flame Alphabet.

[Rachel]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Sounds like The Flame Alphabet."

Oh man, I'm pretty sure that's it!! Thank you so much - this has been bugging me for years. I didn't realize it was only published in 2012... I must have heard him reading from it when it was still a work in progress.

THANK YOU!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

You're welcome, I knew this book because I shelved it a couple weeks ago and just started reading it yesterday.