11 Comments

I LOVED this post, Helen. Such beautiful conversations!

It also reminds me a little of Dear Data, a project and book that has always fascinated me. A different idea but another kind of conversation through the post: https://www.dear-data.com/theproject

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The Dear Data project makes me want to try something like this again sometime - but snail mail from New Zealand to anywhere else is crazy expensive and insanely slow these days!

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Perhaps you could do a hybrid version? Analogue letters but scanned in and emailed...? :-)

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Ooooh, that’s a fun thought, Sophie! But I already get so much email, I fear that each new arrival in my inbox it would feel like just “one more thing.” Maybe I’d need to get someone here to print it out and hand-deliver it to me. Hmmm, I’ll keep thinking about it...

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Dec 7, 2023Liked by Helen Sword

What a wonderful post, Helen. I was entranced, and a little envious! I’d love to do something like this. It’s clear from the pictures and text that you two were very well matched, stimulating each other’s creativity. I knit, as well as writing...how good would it be to share “yarn” notebooks, with words and fibre-y connections!

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“To yarn” means to tell stories, or just have a conversation - so I love the idea of a yarn yarn, a textured exchange of texts/textiles!

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What a fantastic way to communicate, create, and spark. I loved this post!

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Thanks Sally!

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Dec 7, 2023Liked by Helen Sword

A wonderful experience. I would also love to experience it although I'm not sure what I am.... even if I work in academia. Today I can across the climate science breakthrough.com project putting together earth/climate scientists and artists to communicate about climate change. I know, it is very different but it is about the power of putting together people who would not naturally sit together and do/create something together.

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Thanks for this, Celine. I don’t think you have to “be” anything specific (eg artist or poet) to get something out of a project like this - just agree with another person on a theme or idea and see where it takes you!

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Well this was just all kinds of fabulous

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