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.

[Letter from Flannery O’Connor to Brainard and Frances Cheney]

O’Connor enclosed a photograph of a self-portrait with this letter. In the portrait, she holds one of the pheasants on her farm, where she kept dozens of birds, including chickens, swans, pheasants, and peacocks. She preferred this painting to photographs like the ones that Morrissey had taken.

Title	[Letter from Flannery O’Connor to Brainard and Frances Cheney]
Creator	Flannery O’Connor
Date	September 29, 1955
Source	Brainard and Frances Cheney Papers