what do you love so much you write about it?
A Shoutout to Love Letters
This month I want to shout out to everyone in your life who has taken the time to ever write a letter to you. It’s not just the joy of getting something in the mail that isn’t a bill or junk mail; it’s the delight that someone, somewhere, was thinking about you and took the time to write a few thoughts down for you. It can be a card with a few personal lines inside, or a torn-out piece of notebook paper with scratched out words here and there while sharing a memory or professing adoration.
So many things are instantaneous and easily forgotten with the ease of technology. Sure a quick text or silly meme can tell your friend you’re thinking about them, but having an actual card, letter, or even book with your thoughts or stories can mean so much more and will be remembered for far longer.
And love letters can be so many more things than just letters. It can be the gift of shared memories and humor, grief and support, written or painted or sculpted or danced as a performance – a creative work that shares a moment of passion with the reader or viewer.
I encourage everyone to take some time to sit down and write something to someone they care about, even if all you do is put a few personal notes on a handful of paper scraps and mail it to them, or decide to be bold and write down your cherished memories to share with your family and friends. In the meantime, this newsletter I’m going to share how much I loved a love letter a friend created for the world to see.
Cameron Cole took the time to sit down and write out a beautiful love letter to the people he cares so much about, and then he made a movie about it. The movie is called Glitterbaited, and it is delightfully funny, so sweet and caring, and full of both theatre nerd references and human insights about connection and relationships. It’s a family friendly, queer love story that taps into centuries of storytelling to make a refreshing point for modern audiences.
Glitterbaited is picking up steam, getting shown at film festivals all over, from New York to Chicago to Mexico. I was lucky enough to see it at a screening in Lockhart, Texas last month with my partner and catch up with other theatre folks I haven’t seen in years as we celebrated the screening. This was a room filled with love and support for the Cameron who wrote, directed, edited, and made a movie all about being loving and supportive to those you care about.
Glitterbaited is a love letter to Cyrano De Bergerac and Midsummer Night’s Dream; to actors and writers; to meeting new people; to loving your friends no matter what they say when they’re in their feels; to an neighborhood of New York life and culture; and to every queer person trying to figure out who they are in this world.
It’s a full circle love letter that deserves to be seen. My days of writing reviews for entertainment magazines are long over, but the basis is still something I look at when drafting these newsletters. What are the things that the artist or writer did that I can encourage the audience to look for? What are the messages in the story, the lyrics, the staging, the choreography, the colors or shapes of the art, that are most poignant and deserve more attention?
I encourage you to find Glitterbaited screening near you and look for the homages to the works of art that came before it, threaded in the dialogue and interactions. Allow yourself to laugh at the wit and exasperation that the characters share as they navigate falling in love, frenemies who just want some attention, and trivia nights at their local bar. Enjoy the sweetness and sassiness, and cheer on the characters that remind you of your own friends and family.
Yes, it’s one of millions of love letters in the world, but that’s part of being in love and wanting to share the love with others. You, too, can write a love letter today that may become a book or movie someday…
Our Love Letters, so far
I’m proud of the versions of love letters our authors have written and created to share with the people who need them. Each of these authors took time to write these books because they believe in these topics, these histories, these experiences, and they want to share them with you!
Occasional Papers: Teaching Writing in a Way That Students Embrace Enthustically is perfect for educators who want to encourage their own students to write about the real things that matter in their lives.
The Handbook for Mitgation and El Manual para Mitigación by Victoria Rusk and Heart of Justice helps the families of those incarcerated find information to help mitigate their cases.
All the books by Larry Francell were done with a love of history and a love for the depths of West Texas and Fort Davis in particular:
My Summer Vacation: The Victorio Campaign Journal of Robert Grierson 1880
The Scenic Loop: Davis Mountains State Park Highway
What’s in a Name? Fort Davis, Texas
How Indian Emily Saved Fort Davis
And of course the latest addition, Beth Francell’s grandmother Lucy Foster Miller wrote down her memories of life on the Miller Ranch in Fort Davis, Texas and we are so in love with this book full of stories from the past 120 years: A Southern Lady in Cow Country
What have you written a love letter about lately?
Next up: we’re working on new research and archival projects, as well as two different workbooks for different authors. If you’re interested in crafting your own love letter to your family or friends, or want help saving family memories by scanning or creating unique books, then reach out and let’s talk. We want to capture the good stories and make sure they get shared with the people you want to share them with!