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Post by michelleg on Oct 7, 2020 12:46:17 GMT
In another thread about digitizing outgoing letters, distractedmom mentioned that she assumes her children will be more interested in the letters she's written then in the ones she's received. That had me thinking about letters I've written before the digital age, so I don't have copies. I wonder - did any of my friends keep my letters? Are letters something you would consider asking to be returned to you in the event of a correspondent's death? Is that even...mannerly? I was also thinking about it because in passing, a friend mentioned that when she downsized, she threw out a bunch of papers, including a letter from me. I was a little taken aback, since letters are one thing I would never throw away. And then I thought - wait, I have no idea what I wrote in that letter, I don't have a copy - should I ask her if she has anymore and to send them back to me?? Perhaps letters are gifts we simply give away and they go where they will afterwards....
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Post by Gary S on Oct 7, 2020 14:28:15 GMT
I consider a letter the property of the recipient so wouldn't consider asking for it back. That's the job of the archivists after I'm dead Actually I keep a digital copy of most letters I send out but like you I didn't think to use transfer paper under my top sheet of stationery years ago so my oldest correspondence is most likely gone forever. I did have someone's daughter offer to send back all my old letters after her mother's death (pretty famous so her personal papers were going to a university) but I told her to just destroy them. All that was really lost that I didn't have a copy of were some sketches and a few postcards sent while out on vacation. It just shows the university doesn't consider me famous enough yet to want to hold onto my letters full of Okie wit and wisdom just yet.
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Post by ginny on Oct 7, 2020 14:57:55 GMT
Once a letter leaves my house and reaches its recipient, it's basically theirs. I hope they'll enjoy it, but I can't control what they do with it after having replied. Whether they store it permanently or temporarily or chuck it into the bin - that's up to them. If they bin it, I hope they'll shred it before so it won't be read by other people. I certainly wouldn't ask anybody to send my letters back. One person returned all my letters after she had decided to quit writing to me. I thought that was weird. I did not keep them, in case you wonder.
michelleg, 'Perhaps letters are gifts we simply give away and they go where they will afterwards....' is exactly how I feel.
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Post by eefa on Oct 7, 2020 16:47:43 GMT
A few years ago my parents were having their attic re-insulated so there was a big clear out. I found a bunch of letters that I had received when I was at university (pre email days). It was great re-reading them though I have to admit I did throw a few out simply because I've lost touch with some of those people and of the ones from my parents I kept a selection of them but some were very mundane. But I did love one from my mother where my younger sister and my brother both wrote a bit in it as well; it was very funny. As for some of the letters from friends to me I was reading them wondering if they were replying to a letter from me at all... it would seem I was a wilder creature than I am now back then
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Post by michelleg on Oct 7, 2020 22:12:01 GMT
I just found out that my father had letters that had been written to him right after the war and he pitched them - argh! My inner archivist/historian wants to cry. That being said, I know once I croak, no one will give two hoots what I wrote about; still I do believe that letters are an important part of the historical simply because they're not "official" if that makes sense.
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Post by Gary S on Oct 7, 2020 23:33:49 GMT
I agree that letters from your average Joe or Jill are a better insight into daily life of a country than some politician's or famous writer's letters are but let's face reality and admit that no archivist is going to track down your letters or mine. Any trove of personal letters that were written by some average Joe/Jill that turn up were found in an attic by some descendant rather than an university archivist out actively searching for them.
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Post by distractedmom on Oct 8, 2020 2:46:17 GMT
michelleg, I like the way you described letters as a gift. I agree wholeheartedly. They are a gift of thought and time. I certainly don’t expect anyone to return letters. I just meant that letters FROM me would paint a bit of family history for my kids. Of course, there may be things that I have written in letters that I don’t want my kids to read!
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Post by penguy on Oct 8, 2020 5:12:22 GMT
Some time ago I read Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love by Dava Sobel. Galileo's daughter was a nun. She and her father carried on a correspondence until her death. Galileo kept his daughter's letters but Galileo's daughter's letters were destroyed upon her death. It is interesting to think what we might know of Galileo if the letters sent to his daughter had survived.
The book was very interesting and I would recommend it.
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Post by michelleg on Oct 9, 2020 12:22:31 GMT
Some time ago I read Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love by Dava Sobel. Galileo's daughter was a nun. She and her father carried on a correspondence until her death. Galileo kept his daughter's letters but Galileo's daughter's letters were destroyed upon her death. It is interesting to think what we might know of Galileo if the letters sent to his daughter had survived. The book was very interesting and I would recommend it. Yes. This is what I'm talking about. Not that my letters are in that level, haha...
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Post by eefa on Oct 9, 2020 16:09:13 GMT
Some time ago I read Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love by Dava Sobel. Galileo's daughter was a nun. She and her father carried on a correspondence until her death. Galileo kept his daughter's letters but Galileo's daughter's letters were destroyed upon her death. It is interesting to think what we might know of Galileo if the letters sent to his daughter had survived. The book was very interesting and I would recommend it. Just added this to my Goodreads Want to Read list... it sounds fascinating!
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