Books of Letters

We have several books at Luna which are collections of letters. We love these books because they offer an unguarded glimpse into the lives of the people writing them, even more so than memoirs. These books feature a fascinating array of personalities. The few collections of letters that we have chosen to feature here were written by a poet, an artist, a neuroscientist, an astrophysicist, and a two remarkable writers. They each offer a fascinating glimpse of a unique life, each with its own joys and challenges.

Letters from a Young Poet by Rabindranath Tagore

This is a collection of letters that Tagore wrote as a young man. He was writing to his niece at a time that he later described as the most productive period of his life. These letters cover a variety of subjects. They contain charming anecdotes about family life, insights about poetry, descriptions of the incredible natural beauty of Bengal, Tagore's love for nature, his inclination for spiritual contemplation and more. These letters are playful, gentle, thoughtful, insightful, warm, and witty. This book offers an unforgettable glimpse of Tagore as a young poet at a time before he became famous.

The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh

This collection spans the artistic career of Vincent Van Gogh and reveals several facets of both the man and the artist. These pages reveal a complex man who battled mental illness and struggled with his religious beliefs, even as he engaged in intense bouts of creative activity. They belie the popular notion that Van Gogh was an anti-social madman who had no room for anything in his life other than his art. They reveal a man of great emotional and spiritual depth who had a rich inner life even as he struggled to fit into society. Above all, they present a deeply personal account of artistic development and the process of creation.

Letters by Oliver Sacks

Oliver Sacks was a neurologist by trade and a humanist by choice. He brought a genuine curiosity and openness to his work, to understanding not just the human mind, but people in all their complex variety. He describes himself as a ‘philosophical physician’ and an ‘astronomer of the inward'. This is a collection of letters that he wrote to an eclectic array of family and friends, who were scientists, artists, and writers like Francis Crick, Antonio Damasio, Jane Goodall, W. H. Auden, Susan Sontag, Stephen Jay Gould, and so on.

Some of the most eloquent letters in this collection are addressed to the ordinary people who wrote to him about their symptoms and asked questions. He responds to all of them with an openness and generosity that is quite remarkable.

In these letters, Sacks writes candidly about his personal struggles both as a physician and as a gay man. He describes his travels, the people he met along the way, and the often-extraordinary experiences that he had. He shares his enthusiasm for his hobbies, things like competitive weightlifting, motorcycles, botany, and music. His musings include case histories that he wanted to write up, ideas for essays and his many books. These letters tell the story of a remarkable life, and present an intimate picture of a remarkable man.

Letters From an Astrophysicist by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson is arguably the most well-known scientist on the planet. He first became known as the host of the updated version of Cosmos, the iconic TV series from the eighties, originally presented by Carl Sagan. He hosts a very popular podcast called StarTalk, and works as the director of the Hayden Planetarium which is a part of the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

He receives thousands of letters every year from a variety of people. Some of them ask questions, and express doubt and confusion, others are seeking inspiration or expressing wonder, yet others are looking for truth, understanding, purpose, and meaning. Tyson's responses to these letters are warm, wise, and engaging.

They cover everything from God and religion to the inevitability of death. He writes about the many discoveries of science, about climate change, astronomy, cosmology, and the contemplation of extraterrestrial life. The theme that underpins these letters is that all important question about our place in the universe.

The Letters of J R R Tolkien

The is a comprehensive collection of letters spanning the adult life of one of the world’s greatest storytellers. Tolkien was one of the most prolific letter-writers of the 20th century. Over the years he wrote letters to his publishers, to members of his family, to friends, and to the many readers of his books who often wrote to ask questions and seek clarifications on particular details in his stories.

These letters show some of the details of his day-to-day life, and they reveal the inner workings of his mind. But most importantly, for those of us who love his books, they present a record of the history of the composition of his works, discussions of characters and plot points and all sorts of background detail about his languages and his mythology, that are fascinating to read.

Letters of E B White

Elwyn Brooks White was a writer and editor at The New Yorker for over six decades. He is the author of beloved children’s books like Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little and a co-author of The Elements of Style, which is a guide to writing with elegance and beauty in the English language. He is widely recognised as one of the most talented writers of his generation.

A fact that is obvious in this collection of letters. They are beautifully written. They’re also deeply personal and engagingly honest. They're dotted with memorable characters like White’s family, his neighbours in Maine, where he later made his home, the staff of The New Yorker and members of the literary and theatre scene in New York. The most notable of these were Harold Ross, James Thurber, Alexander Woolcott, Groucho Marx, and John Updike.

White’s letters, like his columns and essays are full of ideas and opinions on all the major issues of the age, everything from nuclear war to racism to climate change. These ideas sit comfortably alongside accounts of his day of day to life, and his more personal thoughts and musings. He writes with humour and a clear-eyed seriousness which is immensely appealing.