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 Laura Riding Gottschalk to Fugitive Editor]

The award that Laura Riding won from The Fugitive literary journal in 1924 helped launch her career as a poet. In this letter, she writes the editor after learning about the journal’s financial difficulties and suggests that they contact a wealthy friend of hers in Kentucky. Unfortunately, The Fugitive did not survive its financial crisis; it printed its last issue in December 1925.

Title	[Letter from Laura Riding Gottschalk to Fugitive Editor]
Creator	Laura Riding
Date	July 20, 1924
Source	Laura Riding Collection