From Publishers Weekly
"The act of writing," proposes Lowenherz, "gives us a chance to reflect in private before exposing our heart." Hence the value of the love letter as an abiding expression of the writer's feelings in all their depth and complexity. A prominent collector and dealer in letters and historical memorabilia, Lowenherz presents letters (or fragments thereof) that collectively express the full range of amorous passion, from blind adoration to angst-ridden vituperation. Included are the romantic outpourings of celebrated writers George Sand, Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald whose literary talents make their correspondence a model for any aspiring lover. Perhaps less gifted in their command of language, but certainly no less heartfelt, are selections from such notables as Harry Truman, Abigail Adams, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and an adoring Elvis fan from New Jersey. While reading through too many of these missives in one go might send some readers on an emotional roller coaster, dipping into the collection here and there will be inspiring for those who seek to command the attention of their loved ones. Not surprisingly, some of the most passionate declarations of love herein were uttered by lovers who later proved fickle. But there are some unexpected revelations, too: the ostensibly reserved George Bush, for example, is an effusive epistolary lover. Lowenherz introduces each letter with a quick, helpful biographical note about the author, and the collection as a whole reveals an infinite number of ways to say "I love you." Photos. (Jan.)Forecast: If Crown can generate enough publicity for this, it should be a cinch for literate lovers on Valentine's Day.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-A collector and dealer in letters, manuscripts, and signed photographs has gathered together an anthology showing a diverse, unusual, and not always romantic view of love. A brief introduction to each letter gives some background about the writer and the recipient. Photographs accompany some of the letters. The correspondents include such people as Harry Truman, Jack London, and Sarah Bernhardt. Reading through the letters, readers see vivid examples of how the expression and the language of love have changed over the years. When one considers how e-mail and instant messaging are changing the face of even our most intimate communications, these letters recall a different and sometimes gentler time. Reading some of them will give teens a peek into the private thoughts of people whose names they have seen in books or heard about in class. It might even inspire them to write some letters of their own.Peggy Bercher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
A collector and dealer in letters and autographs, Lowenherz presents 50 of his favorite letters, chosen out of many hundreds. The letters span four centuries, including those from Henry VIII as well as numerous 20th-century figures, such as Harry Truman, Virginia Woolf, James Thurber, and an avid Elvis Presley fan. The letters are reproduced with spelling and grammatical errors intact. Most are by English speakers, and most are from the 20th century. Each letter is prefaced by a brief biographical introduction describing the context in which the letter was written. The letters represent love in its many varieties lover to lover, friend to friend, fan to idolized star and are grouped by type, such as tender, forbidden, passionate, or painful. They all provide an intimate glimpse into the lives of well-known men and women. Recommended for pubic libraries. The Love Letters of Dylan Thomas has greater literary significance and will be useful to students of this Welsh poet. In his letters, Thomas comments on his writing, works by other people, and his feelings about events in his life as they affect his writing. Lynch presents a variety of letters written to the various women Thomas loved, including his first love, the women he developed relationships with during his marriage, and his most enduring and passionate love his wife, Caitlin. Brief prefaces sketch Thomas's relationship with the letters' recipients. Thomas's Letters to Vernon Watkins is also available but is more specialized. Recommended for public and academic libraries, especially those that do not own the out-of-print Collected Letters or Selected Letters. Shana C. Fair, Ohio Univ. Lib., Zanesville Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time FROM THE PUBLISHER
If a picture speaks a thousand words, a love letter speaks a thousand more . . .
Even in this age of e-mail, faxes, and instant messaging, nothing has ever replaced the power of a love letter. Much the way light displays every color when passed through a prism, love letters express the spectrum of our emotions, offering a colorful glimpse into the soul of the writer, and of the writer's beloved. For passionate readers and lovers of words, a letter is irresistible.
Internationally renowned collector David Lowenherz sifted through hundreds and hundreds of historical and contemporary epistles and selected the most ardent, witty, whimsical, sexy, clever, and touching letters for this inspiring collection. Unlike interviews or biographies, these letters give us marvelous insight into the lives of some of history's most famous lovers and provide intimate glimpses into the hearts of some whose fervent or amusing expressions of devotion will come as a great surprise.
Zelda Fitzgerald to Scott Fitzgerald
Michelangelo Buonarroti to Vittoria Colonna
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart toConstanze Mozart
Harry Truman to Bess Wallace
Khalil Gibran to Mary Haskell
Benjamin Franklin to Madame Brillon
Horatio Nelson to Emma Hamilton
George Bush to Barbara Pierce
Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn
Elizabeth Barrett Browning to George Barrett
Jack London to Anna Strunsky
Marc Chagall to Bella Chagall
Ernest Hemingway to Mary Welsh
Jack Kerouac to Sebastian Sampas
Alfred Dreyfus to Lucie Dreyfus
Marjorie Fossa to Elvis Presley
Vita Sackville-West to Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf to Vita Sackville-West
Ludwig van Beethoven to the "Immortal Beloved"
EmmaGoldman to Ben Reitman
Frida Kahlo to Diego Rivera
Dylan Thomas to Caitlin Thomas
Franz Kafka to Felice Bauer
Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine Bonaparte
Abigail Smith to John Adams
John Ruskin to Euphemia Ruskin
George Sand to Gustave Flaubert
Simone de Beauvoir to Nelson Algren
Anais Nin to Henry Miller
Voltaire to Marie Louise Denis
James Thurber to Eva Prout
George Bernard Shaw to Stella Campbell
Sarah Bernhardt to Jean Richepin
Marcel Proust to Daniel Halevy
Frank Lloyd Wright to Maude Miriam Noel
Anne Sexton to Philip Legler
Elizabeth I to Thomas Seymour
Oscar Wilde to Constance Lloyd
Katherine Mansfield to John Middleton Maury
Charles Parnell to Katherine O'Shea
Lewis Carroll to Clara Cunnyngham
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
"The act of writing," proposes Lowenherz, "gives us a chance to reflect in private before exposing our heart." Hence the value of the love letter as an abiding expression of the writer's feelings in all their depth and complexity. A prominent collector and dealer in letters and historical memorabilia, Lowenherz presents letters (or fragments thereof) that collectively express the full range of amorous passion, from blind adoration to angst-ridden vituperation. Included are the romantic outpourings of celebrated writers George Sand, Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald whose literary talents make their correspondence a model for any aspiring lover. Perhaps less gifted in their command of language, but certainly no less heartfelt, are selections from such notables as Harry Truman, Abigail Adams, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and an adoring Elvis fan from New Jersey. While reading through too many of these missives in one go might send some readers on an emotional roller coaster, dipping into the collection here and there will be inspiring for those who seek to command the attention of their loved ones. Not surprisingly, some of the most passionate declarations of love herein were uttered by lovers who later proved fickle. But there are some unexpected revelations, too: the ostensibly reserved George Bush, for example, is an effusive epistolary lover. Lowenherz introduces each letter with a quick, helpful biographical note about the author, and the collection as a whole reveals an infinite number of ways to say "I love you." Photos. (Jan.) Forecast: If Crown can generate enough publicity for this, it should be a cinch for literate lovers on Valentine's Day. Copyright2001 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
A collector and dealer in letters and autographs, Lowenherz presents 50 of his favorite letters, chosen out of many hundreds. The letters span four centuries, including those from Henry VIII as well as numerous 20th-century figures, such as Harry Truman, Virginia Woolf, James Thurber, and an avid Elvis Presley fan. The letters are reproduced with spelling and grammatical errors intact. Most are by English speakers, and most are from the 20th century. Each letter is prefaced by a brief biographical introduction describing the context in which the letter was written. The letters represent love in its many varieties lover to lover, friend to friend, fan to idolized star and are grouped by type, such as tender, forbidden, passionate, or painful. They all provide an intimate glimpse into the lives of well-known men and women. Recommended for pubic libraries. The Love Letters of Dylan Thomas has greater literary significance and will be useful to students of this Welsh poet. In his letters, Thomas comments on his writing, works by other people, and his feelings about events in his life as they affect his writing. Lynch presents a variety of letters written to the various women Thomas loved, including his first love, the women he developed relationships with during his marriage, and his most enduring and passionate love his wife, Caitlin. Brief prefaces sketch Thomas's relationship with the letters' recipients. Thomas's Letters to Vernon Watkins is also available but is more specialized. Recommended for public and academic libraries, especially those that do not own the out-of-print Collected Letters or Selected Letters. Shana C. Fair, Ohio Univ. Lib., Zanesville Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
School Library Journal
Adult/High School-A collector and dealer in letters, manuscripts, and signed photographs has gathered together an anthology showing a diverse, unusual, and not always romantic view of love. A brief introduction to each letter gives some background about the writer and the recipient. Photographs accompany some of the letters. The correspondents include such people as Harry Truman, Jack London, and Sarah Bernhardt. Reading through the letters, readers see vivid examples of how the expression and the language of love have changed over the years. When one considers how e-mail and instant messaging are changing the face of even our most intimate communications, these letters recall a different and sometimes gentler time. Reading some of them will give teens a peek into the private thoughts of people whose names they have seen in books or heard about in class. It might even inspire them to write some letters of their own.-Peggy Bercher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
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