Letters of Note with Steinbeck & Hitchcock

Have you seen the website Letters of Note? They publish and contextualize letters written by or to people who have some sort of claim to fame. Sometimes the old letters are surprisingly relevant, and often the letters are thought-provoking, funny, thoughtful, charming, or poignant. What's extra neat-o is the site often posts a picture of the original letter then transcribes the letter for easy reading.

I've always been intrigued by letters and how they can force people to sit and think about their lives and feelings. Whole relationships have been started or sustained through letters; Abigail and John Adams and C.S. Lewis and Joy Gresham are the first two that come to mind. Not all letters ever written are poignant or of note, obviously, but when they are they seem a little more valuable than other forms of communication, because it's a patient process that involves dedication, time, and delayed gratification. Additionally they are a tangible reminder of things that are intangible. (FYI, I am a terrible letter writer.)

One of my favorites is this letter that John Steinbeck wrote to his son on the subject of love. It is simple, honest, and realistic--none of that flowery mumbo-jumbo that feels fake.

I also really enjoyed this recent post of a letter to Alfred Hitchcock from an elementary school principal in Bodega Bay (where The Birds was filmed). You just never know what's going to change someone's life.