Please Continue: Literary Correspondence as Conversation

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In Summary

The letters in this exhibit span a century of English literature, from the 1880s to the 1980s, and each one was sent with the hope that it would bring a response in return, continuing the conversation. Because the fiction writers and poets who wrote this correspondence were all devoted to the craft of writing, their missives are works of art in themselves, albeit more personal and playful than their published volumes had the freedom to be. Each author’s epistles express personality not only through the chosen text, but also through paper color, handwriting, choice of writing utensil, and the many other physical details required to complete and mail a letter. The messages also hint at the lives on the receiving end of the correspondence, prompting us to imagine responses to the questions asked, praises doled out, and affections expressed.

Collected Poems

The cover of this book calls Laura Riding “the greatest living woman poet in England today,” but Riding only lived in England from 1925 to 1929 and then sporadically between 1936 and 1939. Born in New York City, Riding lived in the United States for a total of 75 years, the majority of her life.

Title	Collected Poems
Creator	Laura Riding
Publisher	New York: Random House
Date	1938
Source	Wills Fugitive and Agrarian Collection