John Updike, Letter Writer

"Not only had young John not written as much as he thought he had; his mother (who was his true soulmate) was now feeling self-conscious because she had written three letters to his every one. Two perfect paragraphs follow these opening sentences, addressing the situation as John has been led to believe the folks back home are experiencing it, after which he writes:"

"Updike wrote this letter for the next 50 years. He wrote it to his family, his first wife, his magazine editors and book publishers; he wrote it to his children, his fans, his friends and acquaintances, his fellow writers. What I mean by that is this: The tone of voice in which these letters are written is singularly overriding; because of it, regardless of the content or the recipient (whether young or old, famous or obscure), they all sound pretty much alike."

"In re-reading my letters I am conscious of an overwordiness that might strike you as supercilious, but believe me it is only the attempt of an over-Latinized vocabulary trying to express itself rapidly. In fact that very sentence sounds pretty obnoxious, but I didn't mean it that way."

John Updike began composing long personal letters as a Harvard undergraduate in 1951 and continued that epistolary mode for decades. The letters share a singular, overriding tone that remains consistent across recipients and subjects. That voice matured into an open, amiable, self-assured, lucid, and well-organized prose style. The same voice also preserved emotional impenetrability, rarely exposing vulnerable feeling despite conversational intimacy. Early letters reveal self-awareness about overwordiness and a playful, over-Latinized diction. The letters convey vivid recollection and cultured phrasing while keeping private emotions largely unreadable.

Read at The Nation