Los Angeles, California
July 12, 2000

Dear Readers,

Today’s letter is the third in an ongoing series by X., an anonymous Open Letters correspondent in Winnipeg, Manitoba. For those just joining us: X. has been writing to Mike, the disappeared father of her thirteen-year-old son, giving him news about O., their joint creation. In the process, she’s telling the story of her relationship with the father, and with the son, one letter at a time.

If you haven’t already read letter number one and letter number two from X., may I recommend them?

And if you have, then you know what I mean.

From day one, I’ve been hoping that Open Letters would eventually be able to take on something of a serial, episodic quality. This is the first week that that feels like it’s starting to happen. There’s X., of course, but also Monday’s letter, from Chana Shvonne Williford, which was the sequel to Chana’s first letter. My hope is that in future weeks, Open Letters will include more and more episodic letters, from writers telling an ongoing story – of a love affair, a presidential campaign, a nervous breakdown, an IPO.

So please let me know, ateditor@openletters.net, if you happen to be in the middle of an episode.

A few other notes: the archives are now arranged by week, and include not only the letters and the conversations, but the editor’s letters, as well.

A reminder about subscriptions: To subscribe to the free daily reminder about the day’s letter, just send a blank email to daily@openletters.net.

To subscribe to the free weekly magazine, which is emailed to subscribers every Sunday, as a PDF, send a blank email toweekly@openletters.net.

To read why we think you should subscribe to the weekly, you can go here; for more on subscriptions, please click here.

Tomorrow: a letter from Salt Lake City, about one man’s scientific investigation, involving portable phones, Toyota pick-ups, and crickets.

Thanks for reading.

Yours truly

Paul Tough