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.

Bonus: [Note from Mark Twain to Camille Fisher]

Camille Fisher invited Mark Twain to give a lecture in Worcester, Massachusetts, but he sent this polite, though brief, declination. Note that he signed this message with his pseudonym, “Mark Twain,” while he signed his effusive letter to Norman Hapgood with his real name, “S. L. Clemens.”

Title	[Note from Mark Twain to Camille Harris]
Creator	Mark Twain
Date	October 15, 1901
Source	Marc Hollender Collection