If you are anything like me, then you always want to know where certain ideas, styles, or fads originate. Currently I am fascinated with the idea of the "Open Letter". Like many of you, I recently heard the title "An Open Letter To" (submit recipient here) and my first thought was, "What is this?" This newfound passive aggressive way to publicly communicate frustrations has quickly become a trend. As if Facebook, Twitter, Snap Chat, Instagram, and all other forms of social media weren't enough, now you can "vaguebook" a diary entry and let it all out there, but who was the originator of this new found catharsis? I did a little research, and let me tell you, Google was failing me a bit.
So let's start with the basic definition of an Open Letter. Dictionary.com is always my go to for basic definitions, but this time I wanted to compare their definition to that of the Urban Dictionary. Here is what I found. According to Dictionary.com an Open Letter is "a letter, often of protest or criticism, but intended to be brought to public attention." Urban Dictionary has a slightly more blunt definition, "a method of writing in which an insecure attention [seeker] tries to make it seem as though they care about the person to whom they're writing the letter, when really they are just trying to draw attention to themselves." Further research provided not only a more detailed definition, but also the discovery of an entire website dedicated to publishing Open Letters. Opnlttr has provided some interesting reading material. Let's start with THEIR definition, "The open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience or a letter intended for an individual, but is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally. Open letters are traditionally published by newspapers and magazines, but because of space constraints in print, the publication of letters in print is generally limited to VIP's, recognized personalities, and people deemed to be acting in the public interest." This I found to be especially fascinating because it provided a realistic point of view to the current publishing opportunities. Short of a highly successful blog, or a prominent social media maven, the chances of your Open Letter being seen by a large audience are slim. Don't be discouraged though... As I previously mentioned, there is a website entirely dedicated to the publication of Open Letters.
Sadly, despite many attempts at adjusting my phrases, Google has failed me in my search. I have been unable to determine when this new phenomenon of publicly expressing one's feelings originated. While that failure was disappointing, the discovery of Opnlttr has provided hours of entertainment as I have read Open Letters ranging from the heartbreaking to the hilarious and absurd. A few of my favorites would have to be a brilliant response to "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding" and "An Open Letter to Hitler from Ghandi". There is something here for everyone!
Though the origins allude me, I can honestly say that the peculiarity that is the Open Letter is still fascinating. Like most of you, I too have a list of potential recipients that I could easily whip up... I am not at the point yet where I am comfortable essentially sharing my diary with the world. I have an admiring respect for those bold enough to place their innermost thoughts out there for the world to see, and to those who DO share... Thank you. It is truly fascinating reading your letters. It does lead me to wondering though... Has anyone ever regretted sharing their letter once you published it? Do you have that annoying habit of true writers that, once it is "done" you think about how you could have improved that one section as you're brushing your teeth? Believe me, it happens. I am 99% sure that right around bedtime tonight I will have a BRILLIANT conclusion to this article that will already be on its way. Alas, that is a discussion for another article.
One final thought, for all who HAVE written an Open Letter... Please share your experiences and thoughts in the comments section. If your Open Letter is public share that too! I look forward to reading them!
