4
 Last night, as I was falling to sleep, I noticed a faint, glowing light emitting from a space on the bookshelf. It seemed to be coming from a glass object, but I'm frightened to check. This has me weary of my new home.

   Speaking of home, I have been so busy trying to survive here that I've forgotten my other goals. I want to return to my true home. I can't settle with being permanently stuck here. I need to find someone who can help me. Today I will set off walking again, until I can find beings with which I can communicate, or until it is dark. My very first encounters in this world have made me very hesitant about my next.Still, I cannot afford to hide.

Nick Bantock's "The Golden Mean-"

Fully titled The Golden Mean: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Concludes,this book features a highly visual way of using epistolary genre. Telling the story of two fictional characters, Sabine and Griffin, the book collects their exchanges of letters and postcards to each other. This book is also physically interactive, asking the reader to remove these letters from envelopes in order to read them. Bantock has written two other books featuring these characters, titled Griffin & Sabine: an extraordinary correspondence, and Sabine's notebook: in which the extraordinary correspondence of Griffin & Sabine continues. This series tells the story of the mysterious relationship between two artists, and their communications with each other while apart. Throughout the three books, the reader witnesses the characters develop and change, individually and as a pair.All three of these books are available in the Moore Connelly Library (Library)

Project examples

 (Explanation of project)

1
   Dear friend,

            Upon entering this world, I've been concerned with its similarity to the natural world. I have not yet wandered far, but have not yet run into any surprises. I am almost disappointed, I expected this place to be overflowing with the unusual. It is lacking the dimension and spirit that the books had depicted. I hope that tomorrow will reassure my hopes.

                                                                                      Sincerely,______

2

   Dear friend,

            The lack of excitement that yesterday held has been made up for ten times over today. I had not even found shelter, and meant to rest against a tree for the night. I regret this decision after being made aware that the tree was already aggressively occupied.The creatures who approached me did not necessarily seem vicious, but certainly displeased with my presence. I am sure that we were frightened of each other, neither having ever seen the other. I did not think twice about leaving, and have been walking since, only just stopping now to inform you of these events. My goal at this time is simply to find a safe area, even if only for this night. 

                                                                   Sincerely,______

History and Origins

The use of epistolary literature in novels became popular in the 18th century, and while it is still present in today's literary world, it is not often used. In the 17th century, the first epistolary novel (at least to have recieved recognition, was Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and his Sister by Aphra Behn.(x) It was considered a Roman à clef  (a novel about real life with hints of fiction mixed in) while also exploring epistolary writing.

    Epistolary writing was prominent in earlier times, growing in popularity upon Samuel Richardson's two novels Pamela and Clarissa Harlowe. The use of epistolary writing in literature offers readers a personal insight and unique reading experience that they aren't offered in a regular novel. The use of letters and a narrator create a more authentic feel to stories, which is especially useful in fictional works. Starting in the 18th century, the epistolary novel was actually considered to be more feminine than masculine. Female writers had often written about marriage or relationship issues, or even depictions of the damsel in distress.(x) Despite this, epistolary novel writing was still largely run by men.