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 Henry James to Horace Scudder]

Henry James’ response in this handwritten letter tells us that Horace Scudder had asked for information about poet James Russell Lowell’s letters to sculptor William Wetmore Story. James expresses his belief that none of the letters survived, but he wishes Scudder “all success with [his] work.” Scudder published his biography of James Russell Lowell two years later, in 1901.

Title	[Letter from Henry James to Horace Scudder]
Creator	Henry James
Date	November 30, 1899
Source	Henry James Collection