michael-dean-k/

Do the immediacy of texts make the tradition of letter writing less authentic? I’m reading Neal Cassady’s letters, and I wonder if Beat letters are better than novels/poems because there was an actual constraint of distance, and they actually had to communicate with the people they care about most, while still co-creating a literary canvas. These letters feel both raw, direct, and logistical (talking laundry, money, and meeting locations), and I don’t know how to channel or recreate that condition in today’s world. I think there needs to be some shared understanding where both parties have long-term trust that enables short-term confrontation and vulnerability. It’s basically a variant of the essay except there is an audience of one. It’s interesting that someone can publish all their outgoing letters, and readers can sense the receiver in the subtext.