Pitchin' the Story
What is the trouble?
In my family there is a letter that has gained quite a bit of infamy. The letter is from one of my relatives directed at his father in law, and is really quite a gem. It contains a poorly spelled indictment of the author's own father in law for such grievous offenses as lying about height and being an all around ass hole. The letter calls the subject, "the littlest man in the biggest way." I don't even know the author very well, but this letter has circulated to the whole extended family and has become a joke among everyone who reads it.
While I was thinking of this letter I got to thinking about writing letters to people in general, and angry or regretful letters in particular. I might want to do a story about the letters, messages, or texts that can't be taken back but we wish could! Just recently my brother tried to text me a message telling me to, "suck on deez nutz," but he accidentally sent to it to a woman who he was going to buy pet rats from... I am interesting in moments like these or moments when you deliver an angry letter and come to regret it. I'm not entirely sure what I want to say about this subject, but it seems interesting. I personally can't get rid of the shame of delivering a sad letter to a lady I was involved with in highschool. These are the things that keep people up at night!
Interview Subjects
Many people I know share this common experience. I could interview my parents to get their perspective on the 'littlest man in the biggest way' letter, and I could also interview my brother or some friends. I suspect that if I ask around enough I can find a handful of people who have written and sent embarrassing or regretful letters and notes.
Point of View
I have personally had a few experiences with regrettable letters. I want to get more perspectives to understand the motivations behind writing these things, the initial satisfaction of sending or delivering them, and finally the humiliation of having borne your soul in a typo filled manifesto. I think understanding the emotions and thoughts behind these sorts of events will help understand how communicating this was is so different from face to face communication... I don't know, I guess there could be a few angles on this bad boy. This topic interest me because these sort of messages or so permanent and haunting in the worst way to the senders and receivers.
In my family there is a letter that has gained quite a bit of infamy. The letter is from one of my relatives directed at his father in law, and is really quite a gem. It contains a poorly spelled indictment of the author's own father in law for such grievous offenses as lying about height and being an all around ass hole. The letter calls the subject, "the littlest man in the biggest way." I don't even know the author very well, but this letter has circulated to the whole extended family and has become a joke among everyone who reads it.
While I was thinking of this letter I got to thinking about writing letters to people in general, and angry or regretful letters in particular. I might want to do a story about the letters, messages, or texts that can't be taken back but we wish could! Just recently my brother tried to text me a message telling me to, "suck on deez nutz," but he accidentally sent to it to a woman who he was going to buy pet rats from... I am interesting in moments like these or moments when you deliver an angry letter and come to regret it. I'm not entirely sure what I want to say about this subject, but it seems interesting. I personally can't get rid of the shame of delivering a sad letter to a lady I was involved with in highschool. These are the things that keep people up at night!
Interview Subjects
Many people I know share this common experience. I could interview my parents to get their perspective on the 'littlest man in the biggest way' letter, and I could also interview my brother or some friends. I suspect that if I ask around enough I can find a handful of people who have written and sent embarrassing or regretful letters and notes.
Point of View
I have personally had a few experiences with regrettable letters. I want to get more perspectives to understand the motivations behind writing these things, the initial satisfaction of sending or delivering them, and finally the humiliation of having borne your soul in a typo filled manifesto. I think understanding the emotions and thoughts behind these sorts of events will help understand how communicating this was is so different from face to face communication... I don't know, I guess there could be a few angles on this bad boy. This topic interest me because these sort of messages or so permanent and haunting in the worst way to the senders and receivers.
I like it! As you say, who hasn't written something to someone that they deeply regret, and in the social media age, when communication is both easy and instantaneous, I suspect this is an even bigger problem. Your family story sounds like an ideal frame for this. Do people still write letters? I do. Or are you thinking that you would simply ask people about writing they've sent to people that they now regret, whether it's a note written on a napkin, a text, or a letter?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a lot of fun, Ben.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I'm a lot more interested in the first half of the pitch than the second. I think you could make a very good documentary about the letters people regret, and that I'd probably love to listen to it. But that first part, the story behind this particular letter, and how it has come to be an inside joke to the family, that fascinates me.
I am instantly curious:
What was the beef?
How did the recipient take it?
Have they mended fences?
Does the sender know they are a family joke?
Do the other members of the family feel even slightly guilty for making this person into a joke?
Has it made them wary in their own communication?
Etc, etc, etc.
As the storyteller, you should of course go with the story you want to tell. But from my perspective, it is that first part that, if it were a movie trailer, would grab me and make me eager to see it.
John,
DeleteThis is a really good suggestion. I hadn't really thought of digging into this letter in particular, but I think it could be really fun. I guess going with this angle sort of ups the stakes of the interviews though. The tension between the letter writer and receiver is still very much active, and the the only people I could really comfortably interview would be my parents and grandparents. I guess it's just a question of whether there is enough material in those interviews to make a story. Thanks for the feedback.
Yeah, I can see how if the tension is still very active, it could make it harder to get the interviews needed without becoming part of the drama yourself. Though of course that would probably make it more enjoyable for us listeners. :P
DeleteBut probably not worth it for unpaid writing.
oh yes the lost text. I too am a victim of the lost text, and yes one did ruin a potential relationship when it was meant for someone else and today I think thank God for the lost text because that guy was a total dick anyway. However with that being said I think that this is a very compelling idea and I like the direction in which you are going with it, this could lead to very interesting interviews and I think it would be really compelling for a radio documentary.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea! We've all been there but I don't quiet see one story yet. I'd love to see one story that you keep coming back to throughout the piece. Maybe a text that was sent in haste that caused a whole dramatic mess or one moment of horrified realization at the end of a build up. I think you could find some great stories from people around you for this one!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I'd be really interested to see you interview a wider variety of age groups on this, to get physical letters, notes (like in grade school), voicemail messages, emails, and texts. I think this is an appealing topic- for me, at least, I definitely haven't forgotten the ones I've sent! Also, with smartphones and the ability to easily screenshot texts/photos, it's easier to hold onto the evidence (say, of bullying messages).
ReplyDelete