Anonymous Love Letters: Written by Eastern students to those they admire most.

Dear Husband,

Thank you for all of the adventures we have had and for all of the adventures that are to come. Thanks for all of the little things you do, like giving me the aux cord in the car and pretending that I beat you in Call of Duty. Thank you for being the collaborator in my crazy ideas, but also my voice of reason when I need it the most. Thanks for all of the inspirational texts in the morning and for making me laugh with your variety of voice impressions. You never cease to amaze me with your humility, kindness, and integrity. You are everything I have ever wanted and everything that I aspire to be. I’m looking forward to Nerf gun wars when we’re old in our cabin in the woods. Thank you for being my person and for being my home. I can’t wait to annoy you for the rest of our lives.

Love,

Your Wife

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I want to hold your hand for a long, long, time.

I want to cook and go for walks and pass my life by your side. I delight in losing keys and taking wrong turns and crying a little and spilling coffee with you. I want to be messy with you.

I want the mess to spring from our very beings and fill our souls with the unrefined flaws natural to being human. I want to wrestle with you, with who you are, and who God is, and where we both belong.

I want to argue with you. I want to complain about the weather with you, and bask in that very same sunshine with you.

I want to travel far or snuggle close or anything in between. I want to know that you trust me. I want to earn your trust.

Silly as it may seem, really, I just like your laugh and miss your skin and want to hold your hand. I want to live and laugh and grow with you. Life is a little better with you around.

I like your heart and soul and mind.

K.

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My sunshine heart-

If we were a literary trope, we would be ‘the grumpy one loves the sunshine one.’ And yes, I’m the grumpy one. It’s shocking to me too. Discovering that information has rocked my world, but the more I learn about you and the more I fall for you, the more I know it’s true. I’ve spent the better part of my life wanting to laugh and, with you, laughter is almost constant. You are always looking to make me smile. Your heart is so open and caring and stunningly resilient. I am in awe of your strength–even when you cannot see it yourself. I can be introspective and self-critical and, yes, grumpy, but when I’m with you that falls away (most of the time). You make me happy. That sounds insanely simple, but for someone who struggles with the concept of happiness, that is huge. And, in return, all I want is for you to be happy. I know that I’ll never be able to match you in your ability to be cheesy, but if I can make you smile that’s enough for me.

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Dear H.P. Lovecraft,

First of all, I admire your writing especially how well you were able to craft the fantasy world that Randolph Carter was transported to in, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. (You started working on the novella in the autumn of 1926, finished it in January 22nd, 1927, and was published under Arkham House in 1943). Second, I understand that some people may classify you as the product of your time (1890-1937), but in all seriousness, those offensives names that you called people of color, that is like, so not cool, brah.

Also, you need to calm down with the Cosmic Horror. I’m sure that the Old Ones (Cosmic Aliens who are worshiped on Earth as Gods), won’t destroy the universe when they awaken. (Humanity is seeing to our planet’s destruction without any extraterrestrial help).

What was Harry Houdini like, as a person? The two of you collaborated on 1924 to produce the short-story, Imprisoned with the Pharaohs, of which Houdini paid you a hundred dollars up front. Was he as short as the photos made him out to be? Did he show you his straight-jacket trick? Overall, you’re my hero as a writer and as a horror fan.