Liven up your student's history lessons with replicas of real letters from famous historical figures, mailed right to their door.
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Explore major events in American history through the letters of famous historical figures like Benjamin Franklin and Susan B. Anthony.
As if history's greatest authors were your writing coach. Get letters of advice from Austen, Tolstoy, Conrad, and more.
Get letters in the mail from legendary authors like Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway, Zora Neale Hurston, HG Wells, and Edgar Allan Poe.
Hear first-hand about the obstacles they overcame to publish enduring best-sellers and create iconic characters. Read along as they critique other popular works from their era, forge their identities as authors, lay out what they believe to be the keys to great writing.
This collection will inspire you to rush to your writing nook and give you actionable advice to apply to your next novel, short story, poem, or article.
"Letters About Writing" is a perfect gift for any writer, from a grizzled veteran journalist to a student in their very first writing seminar. It's also an excellent supplement to any writing curriculum. For group packages, please contact us.
This is part I in an ongoing series. Part II will be available in mid-2024.
Real Letters: About once per week, you'll receive a letter in the mail from a famous author discussing writing, editing, or the creative process. You'll receive twenty-six letters in total over a six month period.
These are real letters sourced from archives, libraries, and special collections around the world, and reproduced for you on fine stationery.
Monthly Themes: Each month of your letters will focus on a unique theme. Examples of themes you may receive include "Character development," "Editing," "Criticism," "Genre Fiction," and "Perseverance".
"The Postscript": Each letter you receive will also include "the postscript," an article on your latest author, their writing habits, and their career.
First-class mail: Each letter in this collection is mailed to your door via USPS first-class mail with a real stamp. Domestic postage is included. Members outside the US will incur a small international postage surcharge.
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Jane AustenAuthor of "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility" & domestic novel virtuoso. |
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Zora Neale HurstonBest-selling author of "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and "Mules and Men". |
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F. Scott FitzgeraldJazz-age legend. Author of "The Great Gatsby" and "The Beautiful and Damned". |
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Charlotte BrontëAuthor of "Jane Eyre" under the pseudonym "Currer Bell". Known for her profound exploration of love, society, and morality. |
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Arthur Conan DoylePhysician & best-selling author of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "A Study in Scarlet". Known for creating the iconic detective, Sherlock Holmes. |
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Mark TwainLegendary humorist & best-selling author of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer". World's worst businessman. |
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H.G. WellsSci-fi pioneer. Author of "The War of the Worlds" and "The Time Machine". |
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Willa CatherPulitzer-prize-winning writer. Author of "My Ántonia," "O Pioneers!," and other iconic works of American literature. Lauded for her evocative depictions of American frontier life. |
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Louisa May AlcottBeloved author of "Little Women". Noted for her poignant tales of family and female empowerment. |
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Charles DickensLiterary journal editor & author of "Oliver Twist," "Great Expectations," "A Tale of Two Cities," and "A Christmas Carol". |
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Edgar Allan PoeMastermind behind "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart" and author of the first modern detective story. Acclaimed for his mastery of gothic fiction. |
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And More...We have dozens of amazing authors on our list. We have so many that we had to save some for Part II (coming in 2024) - Stay tuned! |
Please note: Authors are subject to change
Explore breakthroughs in science and industry through the letters of history's greatest scientists, inventors, and industrialists.
Learn about the history of science & industry through the letters and memos of the scientists, engineers, leaders, and entrepreneurs who shaped the modern world.
This six-month "from the vault" package includes twenty-six reproductions of real historic letters.
Each letter also includes domestic first-class USPS postage and "the postscript," an article written by our curators with historical context on your latest letter.
Letters are mailed out at approximately a weekly cadence.
Letters you may receive include:
This package is a perfect inspirational and educational gift for the genius in your life, with dreams of building a unicorn or pitching their company on Shark Tank.
About "From the Vault": This collection includes a selection of the best letters on science, engineering, and business from the Letterjoy archives.
If you're an existing Letterjoy member, this collection may include letters you've received in the past.
This collection is available for a limited time, and is a one-time purchase, not a subscription.
From the battlefield to your door. Get letters from the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and more.
Explore American military history with this six-month collection of weekly letters. This "From The Vault" collection features twenty-six of the best letters, telegrams, and memorandums we've found from throughout American military history.
Each letter also includes domestic first-class USPS postage and "the postscript," an article written by our curators providing historical context for your latest letter.
For more details on why this collection makes a great gift for anyone who loves reading about military history, visit this page.
Learn about a few of the leaders and warriors who could grace your mailbox.
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William T. ShermanGeneral William Tecumseh Sherman wrote Letterjoy members to discuss his famous "March To The Sea" and the rationale behind his controversial decision to burn the city of Atlanta. |
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Thurgood MarshallLetterjoy members received a letter from Thurgood Marshall from before his appointment to the Supreme Court, when he was a young lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund investigating the malicious prosecution of black GIs in Korea. Through his letters home, Letterjoy members learned about Marshall's work overturning unjust courts-martial. |
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Dwight D. EisenhowerPresident Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote Letterjoy members to discuss his efforts to de-escalate the Cold War, D-Day, and his work as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe. |
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Allen W. DullesLong-time CIA Director Allen W. Dulles has written Letterjoy members to discuss notable CIA programs and operations, including the U-2 Spy Plane, Operation Paperclip, and the Bay Of Pigs invasion. |
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John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones, father of the American Navy, wrote Ben Franklin (and Letterjoy members) to discuss the exploits of the Bonhomme Richard, a vessel in the Continental Navy which drew its name from Franklin's famous Poor Richard's Almanac(k). |
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Theodore RooseveltPresident Theodore Roosevelt wrote Letterjoy members to discuss the explosion of the U.S.S. Maine and his time leading the Rough Riders at San Juan Hill. |
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George S. PattonA young George S. Patton wrote his father (and Letterjoy members) to discuss his role in a WWI tank battle, the first mechanized battle fought by the US military. |
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Harriet and Dangerfield NewbyDangerfield Newby was one of five formerly enslaved men to join John Brown on his famous raid of the armory at Harper's Ferry, in the lead-up to the American Civil War. On his body, a letter was found from his wife Harriet, still enslaved, pleading for rescue. Letterjoy members received this letter as well as a note from Colonel Robert E. Lee (then serving in the US Army) to Brown demanding his surrender. |
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Franklin D. RooseveltOver the years, Letterjoy members have received scores of different war-time letters and memorandums from FDR. Among the best was a top-secret letter from Roosevelt to Winston Churchill pondering the question of whether to remove General Charles de Gaulle from his post as leader of Free French Forces. |
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William TudorLieutenant-Colonel William Tudor was the first Judge Advocate General of the Continental Army. As the soldier solely responsible for adjudicating courts-martial during the early years of the American Revolution, he struggled to keep up. George Washington's micromanagement didn't help. Nevertheless, he single-handedly set many of the precedents later enshrined in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (though many were borrowed from the British). Letterjoy members received a letter he sent to Washington plotting reforms to this nascent system. |
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William Jennings BryanAfter the sinking of the RMS Lusitania, President Woodrow Wilson pushed his advisors to demand that Germany accept responsibility and take corrective action. Secretary Of State William Jennings Bryan, fearful of escalation, pushed back. After Wilson drafted a particularly inflammatory note, Bryan threatened to resign if it was sent. Wilson didn't back down. Bryan sent the note, then resigned. Letterjoy members received Bryan's note and the German response. |
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And More...We have a long list of amazing letters we look forward to sharing with you. In fact, we have so many that we had to save some for Part II - Stay tuned! |
Please note: Authors are subject to change
Decipher real coded letters and telegrams from the past. Learn about American history and cryptology along the way.
A weekly dose of American history. Get "snail mail" from Benjamin Franklin, Susan B. Anthony, and more.
Get weekly letters from POTUSes of the past. Learn history using primary-source "snail mail" from Washington, Lincoln, and more. (1789-1969)
Love presidential history and trivia? Get letters in the mail written from or to Presidents 1-36.
In 1789, George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States. Over the next 180 years, thirty-four others took the Oath of Office and made their mark on the presidency.
This series explores the evolving role of the president (from 1789 through 1969) and the duties of the office through the letters, memorandums, and telegrams of the first thirty-five men to inhabit the office.
Each month of letters will focus on one unique aspect of the job. Examples of monthly themes you might receive include “Commander-In-Chief,” “The Veto,” and “Accidental Presidents.”
Each letter will explore the monthly theme through the lens of a different president. All letters include a “postscript” article, written by our expert curators, with detailed background information on your latest letter and the president who wrote or received it.
Part I of this two-part series includes:
Part II will be available in early 2023.
Presidents In This Series (Parts I & II):
Please Note: All of the above presidents will appear in either part I or part II. Because there are thirty-six presidents on the list and each part only includes twenty-six letters, some will only appear in one of the two parts.
Study ancient stoic philosophy through beautiful weekly letters from Seneca the younger, mailed to your door on parchment.
Explore stoic wisdom through beautiful weekly letters from Seneca, mailed to your door on parchment.
Why should you study stoicism in weekly doses? Well, Seneca said it best:
“You must linger among a limited number of master thinkers and digest their works, if you would derive ideas which shall win firm hold in your mind”
— Seneca the Younger
This six-month* package includes:
*Due to mailing holidays, the date between your first and last letter may exceed six calendar months but you will receive 26 letters regardless.
A Reason To Check Your Mail: Check your mailbox. Push aside the bills and coupons and find the heavy cream-colored envelope with your name on it.
Inside, you’ll find your latest missive from your pen pal, Seneca the Younger.
Beautiful & Immersive: Burrow into your favorite chair, brew some coffee or tea, and set your phone aside. Then tear into your envelope and enjoy your letter, beautifully typeset in the style of a 15th century illuminated manuscript on premium parchment or vellum paper.
You’ll feel like Renaissance royalty, (except you have air conditioning).
Explore Stoicism The Right Way: Great philosophy isn’t meant to be binged. It’s meant to be savored and studied. With Stoic Letters, you’ll be able to linger over one eloquent letter from the Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium every week, pondering it and applying it to life as you wait for your next letter to arrive.
Turn your study of stoicism from a one-time perusal into a weekly ritual.
You’ll receive translated letters from the Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium.
We mail one letter every week, so the letters you receive will depend on your start date, but we mail sequentially, so you’ll experience Seneca’s letters in order.
For more specific information about our upcoming calendar, please reach out to our support team.
Our letters use a slightly modernized version of the 1916 translation by Dr. Richard Gummere of Haverford College, which we think does an excellent job of balancing old eloquence and precision-of-language with accessibility.
New to stoicism? Our letters are the perfect way to gradually explore stoicism and the writings of Seneca.
Already a stoic master? Adding our weekly letters to your routine is a great way to supplement your study.
Philosophy is not meant to be binged. In fact, in letter 2 of the Moral Letters to Lucilius, Seneca advises “You must linger among a limited number of master thinkers and digest their works, if you would derive ideas which shall win firm hold in your mind” .
Our beautiful paper letters offer a decadent screen-free way to explore stoic philosophy gradually, in a fun and engaging format.
Great philosophical works are not meant to be read just once. They’re meant to be read continually at different stages of life.
As Seneca said, “nothing hinders a cure so much as frequent change of medicine”. If you found meaning and guidance in your first reading of Seneca’s letters, you’ll find even more clarity in your second.
Our service is the most enjoyable way to re-read them.
A weekly dose of American history. Get "snail mail" from Benjamin Franklin, Susan B. Anthony, and more.
A weekly dose of American history. Get "snail mail" from Benjamin Franklin, Susan B. Anthony, and more.