Despite being what VH1 calls “the Goddess of Googling”, I’m having a heck of a time finding the answer to a question that’s been plaguing me today.
Now, to be fair, I didn’t wake up with a hangover this morning, despite having attended a party last night while VH stayed home to watch the Big-Eyed Boy. In fact, I was a good girl and was home by 8 pm after a mere two glasses of wine and asleep by 11 pm, perfectly sober. (I had work to do this morning and, besides, the one person whose company I most crave wasn’t there.)
Anyway.
I’m trying to compile a list, preferably with book titles or other readable references, of famous correspondents. By that I mean, people who — back in the day — wrote snail mail to each other which became noteworthy literature in its own right.
Can anyone come up with some names?
Anyone? Anyone??? Buehler???
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008, 6:23 pm | 
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November 26, 2008 at 6:56 pm
some good info here
http://www.neh.gov/projects/papersprojects.html
November 26, 2008 at 7:07 pm
John and Abigail Adams
Ron and Nancy Reagan
That’s all I got.
November 26, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Virginia Wolfe wrote to tons of people.
George Sand wrote to… someone famous… forget who.
I’m pretty sure you oould hit paydirt with one of the Bronte girls.
Oscar Wilde.
No book titles, though. I just know these people were very fond of writing letters.
November 26, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Two books of letters to and from Gustave Flaubert have been published. You can read his correspondence with George Sand here. In the 1980s, a collection of Flaubert’s correspondence with Ivan Turgenev was published.
Then there was the 20-year Helene Hanff/Frank Doel correspondence, published as 84, Charing Cross Road (the address of Doel’s employer, Marks & Co.), though Doel, the buyer for Marks’ bookshop, was not identified in the early going.
November 26, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Richard Hugo’s letters always stand out to me.
But his letters were always one-way, and poetry at that.
Still and all, good stuff.
November 27, 2008 at 12:29 am
Emily Dickinson was quite a correspondence author, as I recall.
November 27, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, before they married?
November 29, 2008 at 8:55 am
Paul the Apostle.
(snicker)
November 29, 2008 at 11:42 am
Helene Hanff and Frank Doel.
She wrote the book which Mel Brooks produced as a movie: 84 Charing Cross Road
November 29, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Heloise and Abelard?
William T Sherman (the general) and John Sherman (the Senator). Used to have a copy of THE SHERMAN LETTERS floating around, but it’s gone now, unfortunately.
December 2, 2008 at 2:13 pm
C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
December 2, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Gah, Timmer, I can’t believe I didn’t think of those two; they’re two of my favorite authors!
December 3, 2008 at 9:07 am
DOH! I hadn’t even realized they corresponded!
These are all great suggestions, folks. Thank you so much.
December 3, 2008 at 11:56 am
Here’s a good jumping off point, Kate:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inklings
December 3, 2008 at 12:12 pm
That is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thanks, WG!
December 3, 2008 at 12:51 pm
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November 30, 2008 at 10:48 pm