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: Ship of Fools

Andrew Lytle left the University of Florida for the University of the South in 1961 to become the editor of The Sewanee Review. The journal reviewed Katherine Anne Porter’s book Ship of Fools in 1963 and stated that “Miss Porter takes the breath away with her absolute genius.”

Title	Ship of Fools
Creator	Katherine Anne Porter
Publisher	Boston: Little, Brown and Co.
Date	1962
Source	Southern Civilization Collection