LETTERS
A prompt in Nolan James Briden’s early morning writing workshop at Oregon State Penitentiary provided the spark for the ponyXpress. The chapter “A Letter to My Ancestors” by Raquel Almazan (from the excellent book published by Pen America The Sentences That Create Us) contains a series of exercises that unleashed seeds for this issue’s work. During the spring, Danny Wilson and I traveled to prisons in the state to carry the spirit of Nolan’s teaching with us as we invited writers in Baker City, Lakeview, Pendleton, Portland, and Salem to join this project. Combining writing across institutions creates conversations between people who otherwise are unable to meet.
Generally letters are folded and contained, they are most often private messages intended for one reader. The next three submissions are addressed to a father figure who has greatly influenced each of these men. Douglas Dahl chooses to introduce himself to a father he longed to meet through his childhood and now brings his reflective maturity to meet the shadowy figure of his father — man to man. Hugh Crow II open-heartedly writes to his great grandfather: “I love you for the children you fathered.” A declaration that reminds us that the transit of love moves optimistically forward to our grandchildren’s children, and equally travels back to the ancestors who brought us beloved grandparents. Simply profound. Le’Var Howard calls to Martin Luther King, Jr. who traveled through the world lighting the way with his words and through his actions. Le’Var recognizes his teacher, and the importance to holding up this vision for himself. The letter bring us closer to our writers’ hearts. These intimate messages act to reconcile what we know and don’t know about people we love, even when we have never met. | TDS