I enjoyed this week’s reading of letters of note both from the past as well as more recently. The first letter that I read was from a 12 year old girl named Sophia Bailey-Klugh to Barack Obama. In her letter, Sophia asks the president for advice. She has two fathers and children at her school bully her. I’ve already written my 3-2-1 analysis on this letter so I won’t go into too much detail, but one thing that really stuck out to me was the president’s care to speak to Sophia in a mature manner. He didn’t diminish her or try to talk down to her, instead he spoke to her in a very respectful way which I thought was very kind. He took her concerns to heart and responded in a friendly manner.
The second letter that I read was from Anaïs Nin to the Collector. Nin, along with other authors, were writing erotic fiction stories for an anonymous man who was known as the Collector. The authors were only paid $1 for each story they wrote. Nin wrote a letter to the Collector because he didn’t want the authors romanticizing sex. What drew me to the letter was the very first sentence. Nin started the letter very effectively with just 3 words: “We hate you.” Anyone who begins a letter like that is demanding to be listened to. Nin argues that by trying to remove the poetry from erotic writings then, “The source of sexual power is curiosity, passion. You are watching its little flame die of asphyxiation. Sex does not thrive on monotony.” Erotica, Nin argues, is only powerful if the writing leading up to it is lush, and filled with variety and intrigue. It is not something dirty or that should be discussed in a secretive manner. Rather, it is something that can be beautiful and exciting. Nin argues that the physical joy of sex is only present when there is an appreciation for the intimacy of the moment.
