The Post and The Poem

Two of my grandparent's letters, side by side. 

WHAT I DID:
   This week I worked on developing several concepts and subject matter for my book. I pursued two directions; one direction was to use my poetry and prose paired with illustrations to create a form of a book. I compiled a few pages of my writing based around the season of autumn, as well as a few other bits of poetry from other's work I admire. I spent some time experimenting with rough mock-ups, looking at size and layout. The second direction was to explore my fascination around letter-writing. As mentioned in my last post, one of the reasons I became fascinated by letters is because I inherited my grandparents love letters. Consequently, this week found me opening these up and starting to read some of them for the first time. This week I also did quite a bit of research around letter writing. I looked at some historical examples, and historical ways the mail was delivered. I also found a few small contemporary groups that are seeking to revitalize the art of letter writing, and looked at some more technical approaches to the art from (for so it has become).


WHAT I ACCOMPlISHED:
   I've decided to traverse in the fields of letter writing. I find, amidst all I've done so far, an interesting conversation here that I want to have. There are so many different avenues, and I feel that looking more in-depth at letters will allow me enough room to explore and perhaps discover something really interesting, and will give me room to breath and create.


ONWARD:
    As previously mentioned, I would like to continue in the direction of letter writing. This means some more in-depth research into this form. I also want to use this time to flush out what interests me most about letter writing. Why am I drawn to it? I want to explore not only more about the history, but perhaps as well, more behind the notion of letter writing. I want to look at things that letters create: a sense of travel, relationships, personal history, a caricature of the soul. Jim and Camilla gave me some really interesting things to think on and pursue as a result of our Thursday meeting. I think it would be interesting also to begin either a real or imaginative communication through letters so that I can begin to do some more physical creating, and get more engrossed with the act of letter writing.