A Passion for Correspondence

Back in January of this year, I wrote a blog about the Lost Art of Letter Writing. Thanks to the bloody awful weather that Massachusetts is currently experiencing, I've been stuck inside for what feels like forever, which gives me lots of time to surf the web. Today, while surfing around, I came across the most amazing site that I just had to share, as it directly correlates to my passion for keeping letter writing alive.  Letters of Note is "an attempt to gather and sort fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos." The tagline of the website is "Correspondence deserving of a wider audience." Just brilliant! Their compilation of letters runs the gamut from hilariously funny to touching to outrageous to infuriating and everything in between. As of this posting, they have posted 752 letters and that number will keep on growing.  The letters date from as far back as ~1350 BC (written on a clay tablet) straight up through to today.  The site has six ways in which to navigate the collection, by: (i) correspondence type (letter, memo, telegram, fax), (ii) writing method (typewritten, handwritten), (iii) date of correspondence, (iv) categories of correspondence, (v) correspondence written by, to, or about notable people, and (vi) site publication date - in addition to having a search function and a list of the most popular letters.

Dr. Bunsen Honeydew (right) and
his assistant Beaker (left)

Some of the letters dispense advice, others make complaints, some give their gratitude, other express their love, and a whole host of other topics. One of the funniest letters is from Dr. Bunsen Honeydew (aka  The Jim Henson Company) to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory written in 2004 congratulating them (sort of) at the success by NASA of landing two rovers on Mars. Priceless!! MEEP! Another hilarious missive was from the English playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw to The Times written in 1905 registering a complaint regarding an evening at the Opera House in Covent Garden. It wasn't the production of Mozart's Don Giovanni which offended but rather an extravagantly dressed woman. Oh, GBS, I heart you so! One of my favorite letters was fairly recent - written by Pulitzer-prize winner Harper Lee (author of one of the greatest novels ever, To Kill a Mockingbird).  In 2006, Ms. Lee responded to a fan who had asked her for a signed photo.  She gave him the following advice:

06/07/06

Dear Jeremy

I don't have a picture of myself, so please accept these few lines:

As you grow up, always tell the truth, do no harm to others, and don't think you are the most important being on earth. Rich or poor, you then can look anyone in the eye and say, "I'm probably no better than you, but I'm certainly your equal."

(Signed, 'Harper Lee')

Sounds advice that we would all do well to remember. I found a good many of the letters to be inspiring and touching. Check out the site and perhaps you'll find a letter from, to, or about someone that you admire.

A copy of Harper Lee's Letter