Three for Friday
The Many Uses of a Letter
Dublin
Friday 24 November 2023
Dear Readers,
I hope this finds you well as it leaves me.
Today’s offerings show some of the ways writers have used the letter form in their work to express feelings, or not, as in Alice Munro’s story, and develop and exchange ideas or advice.
I hope you enjoy the selection.
As always it’s great to get your responses and suggestions for other reading.
One of our friends has already come back with an omission on my part, Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Connections) by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, a classic epistolary novel first published in 1782. The same friend mentioned Yellowface, by R.F. Kuang, published this year, as an example of a narrative rooted in digital communication.
Have a great weekend.
Wishing you all a happy weekend,
Aisling
As I mentioned in Tuesday’s newsletter, a group of young poets from Northern Ireland wrote letter poems to one another. Derek Mahon continued to use the form in his later career. Here is his affecting ‘Yaddo Letter’, written from, and named for, the famous artists’ retreat in Saratoga.
Some people describe Alice Munro as a writer of ‘epistolary short stories’. This story, ‘Postcard’ appears in her first collection Dance of the Happy Shades (1968). It is not strictly speaking written in letter form but it concerns the young woman’s need for a letter from the man she loves and why.
Typewritten or not it used to be that just looking at that letter I would get a feeling of love, if that is what you want to call it, strong enough to pretty near crumple me up and knock me over.
Poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s ‘Letters to a Young Poet’, addressed to Franz Xaver Kappus, are by now a classic textbook for the aspiring poet. They also reveal much about Rilke and his approach to writing poetry.
Of course, you must know that every letter of yours will always give me pleasure, and you must be indulgent with the answer, which will perhaps often leave you empty-handed; for ultimately, and precisely in the deepest and most important matters, we are unspeakably alone; and many things must happen, many things must go right, a whole constellation of events must be fulfilled, for one human being to successfully advise or help another.
Thank you for joining me on What’s the Story? Please let me know what you think of today’s selection and any other thoughts, ideas you may have for future newsletters.
If you are enjoying What’s the Story? why not invite your friends along?
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the selection. I had fun choosing the works!
I have no better examples than those you have given us - and what pleasure they have given me in the reading! Many thanks as always, Aisling.