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.

Life on the Mississippi

Mark Twain owned a Remington typewriter and employed a secretary to type the manuscript for Life on the Mississippi in 1882. As a result, the autobiographical work became the first book submitted to a publisher in typescript. Life on the Mississippi was published in both the UK and the US in 1883.

Title	Life on the Mississippi
Creator	Mark Twain
Publisher	London: Chatto & Windus
Date	1883
Source	Sevier Collection