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Have I told you about the Lycoris Letters? You know, of course, that I'm completely obsessed with Real Mail, but you may have overlooked Item #2 of the second part of this post because it was a really long post and you probably skimmed it. Or skipped it.
Anyway, so a few weeks ago a woman in Japan goes, HEY people on Twitter, I will write a letter to everyone who asks for one!" and I of course said "OOO! OOO! ME!" But I was far from the only one, so she recruited a COMMITTEE and it became a THING, and, after applying for a position in said COMMITTEE, I BECAME A LETTER WRITER. I mean, more than I was before. Now I'm a PROFESSIONAL letter-writer, except for the getting-paid-to-do-it part.
So she sent me 10 addresses and Questions Said Addressees Would Ask The Universe, and I have set out to respond to each of them. One of the first letters I wrote was to a love-struck teenager on the other side of the world, because the question immediately reminded me of one of my own stories-- in fact, one of THE two stories that have shaped my obsession with letter-writing to begin with. That's why I thought it would be a perfect letter for our Fearless Leader Darcy to add to the Tumblr.
So today it's up! Now you can all see the sort of thing I'd WRITE in a letter to a complete stranger who asked the universe about speaking up to their crush!
I asked the recipient's permission to post it, and they replied Yes of course (after gushing with thanks for the letter in the first place), and then added, "It's a brave thing to write in a letter." Well, I don't know about that. I'm telling a story from seventeen years ago-- the emotional intensity has drained a bit. Don't even think I've even seen the guy in question for about thirteen years. I've been through many other loves and heartbreaks since. Also, according to his Facebook page, he has REALLY SUCKY taste in music. ...but wait, no, sorry, that's off-topic.
What it is is sharing stories, sharing bits of life across the world, connecting people. Who'd have thought seventeen years ago that my teenage awkwardness would end up inspiring a complete stranger across the world all these years later?
I love writing letters. I REALLY love writing THESE letters. I said I felt I WOULD be picked for this project just because it seems so much like FATE. Is THIS my calling as a writer, to write letters? Huh.
Well, maybe not. Maybe not completely. I'm sure it's my calling at this moment. But it's reminding me again of the power of stories, that if even my own teenage dramas can have meaning to someone else, maybe I do have more stories to tell, that might mean something to somebody somewhere.
Anyway, so a few weeks ago a woman in Japan goes, HEY people on Twitter, I will write a letter to everyone who asks for one!" and I of course said "OOO! OOO! ME!" But I was far from the only one, so she recruited a COMMITTEE and it became a THING, and, after applying for a position in said COMMITTEE, I BECAME A LETTER WRITER. I mean, more than I was before. Now I'm a PROFESSIONAL letter-writer, except for the getting-paid-to-do-it part.
So she sent me 10 addresses and Questions Said Addressees Would Ask The Universe, and I have set out to respond to each of them. One of the first letters I wrote was to a love-struck teenager on the other side of the world, because the question immediately reminded me of one of my own stories-- in fact, one of THE two stories that have shaped my obsession with letter-writing to begin with. That's why I thought it would be a perfect letter for our Fearless Leader Darcy to add to the Tumblr.
So today it's up! Now you can all see the sort of thing I'd WRITE in a letter to a complete stranger who asked the universe about speaking up to their crush!
I asked the recipient's permission to post it, and they replied Yes of course (after gushing with thanks for the letter in the first place), and then added, "It's a brave thing to write in a letter." Well, I don't know about that. I'm telling a story from seventeen years ago-- the emotional intensity has drained a bit. Don't even think I've even seen the guy in question for about thirteen years. I've been through many other loves and heartbreaks since. Also, according to his Facebook page, he has REALLY SUCKY taste in music. ...but wait, no, sorry, that's off-topic.
What it is is sharing stories, sharing bits of life across the world, connecting people. Who'd have thought seventeen years ago that my teenage awkwardness would end up inspiring a complete stranger across the world all these years later?
I love writing letters. I REALLY love writing THESE letters. I said I felt I WOULD be picked for this project just because it seems so much like FATE. Is THIS my calling as a writer, to write letters? Huh.
Well, maybe not. Maybe not completely. I'm sure it's my calling at this moment. But it's reminding me again of the power of stories, that if even my own teenage dramas can have meaning to someone else, maybe I do have more stories to tell, that might mean something to somebody somewhere.
