10

The witch had found shelter somewhere along the mountain ahead of the town, the same mountain where a dragon supposedly dwelled. It was common knowledge amongst the townsfolk that she dwelled along the outside of the mountain, not deep inside it. As I listened to the information everyone was pouring out to me, I quickly finished up my loaf of bread. I thanked everyone for their hospitality and conversation, getting up to leave. They did not know how valuable their information was to me. It was getting dark, I quickened my footsteps so as to get back through the field and forest safely. Tomorrow I would have more walking to do. To get to the mountain, I thought it would be wise to make my way around the town, rather than through it, so that no one would try to stop me. This witch was my single hope of returning to my home. I opened the door to the shack, feeling exhausted as I looked towards the bed. I pulled off my shoes and wrapped myself snuggly in the old blankets. Falling asleep, I looked towards the shelf, the light I had seen before glowing more rapidly now.

8

I took my time answering, trying not to pause too often and appear confident in my response. I briefly explained to them that living amongst the various beings was not always smooth, but that you learn to navigate through it. I told them that I’d gained some sense of safety in the forest, something I would have never expected to say upon arrival. I continued the conversation, reminding them that I wasn’t familiar with this area, and half-jokingly asked if there was anything I would need to be wary of here. They spoke of wolves up in the mountains, potential, mischievous fae that dwelled amongst them, and odd folk who mostly kept to themselves unless bothered. They casually brought up a dragon, who was believed to be fearsome but had never left his den. Some were sure he must be dead. These things they accepted. What these people found difficult to accept was the existence of witches, or one in particular.

6

I could have been able to let my guard down here. I received casual, friendly greetings from shop owners, children and townspeople. The town is rather small and everyone is familiar with each other. It was clear that I was a stranger, but I was not treated like one. Feeling comfortable, I tried to gather some information about this world without indicating that I wasn’t naturally a part of it. I stepped into a bakery, a friendly looking woman behind the counter. I briefly browsed the aisles of goods, reminding me that I haven’t had a good meal in what feels to be far too long. I felt rude to approach the woman knowing I wouldn’t be able to purchase anything. I hoped she would understand. I asked her about the town, specific places to visit and where to find more information. I have found it to be difficult to ask “How do I get out of this world?”, without saying it directly. She was extremely helpful and kind, and even went so far as to offer me a small loaf of bread for free. I quickly wrote down a list of the places she talked about, ready to go find them.

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.

Examples of Epistolary Writing

   Popular Epistolary Novels:
-The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- Carrie by Stephen King
-The Color Purple by Alice Walker
-Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
-Up the Down Stair Case by Bel Caufman
-Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger

Epistolary novels offer readers closer insight to character's thought and a fresh perspective. The degree of how personal an epistolary piece is depends on its form, whether that be through notes, journal entries, letters, recordings,etc.

The Three Types of Epistolary Novels:
-Monologic-(of, relating to, or characteristic of a monologue <voice … (x) )The writing of only an individual character is presented.
-Dialogic-(of, relating to, or characterized by dialogue <dialogicwriting> (x)) An exchange of writing between two characters
-Polylogic- Writing occurring between three or more characters

(Source of Types of Epistolary Novels)

Defining Epistolary Fiction

   Epistolary novels are told through a series of documents or letters, offering a uniquely personal view of a story that we do not receive otherwise. This form of story telling flourished during the 19th century and became especially popular in psychological novels. (link) It has developed in a way that continues to work in today's world as well, such as through blogs, diary entries, or recordings. It is not uncommon for this genre to feature letter writing between two or more characters.

   Today, text message novels have achieved some success, specifically is Japan.(link) Letter writing was especially prominent when epistolary novels began, so it is not surprising that text message novels would be successful in today's world.