Melissa Sarris
Mother and daughter working together to compose their letter.
One of the letters typed during the event.
Feminist Love Letter
A public engagement event during Nasty Women of the North. Held at Collar Works Gallery in Troy, NY as a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood.
The public typed letters on a dozen manual typewriters I provided. Letter themes included: writing to a former/future self; to one’s favorite family member/feminist; a historical/professional figure living now or from the past; or to an imagined feminist in the future. Participants were encouraged to extol the reasons for their love and affection to their recipient.
The typewriter, now an obsolete technology, became a contemporary site of contemplation and inquiry. The sound and physical force necessary to type aided participants in making this connection, as it has for many writers throughout history.
Letters typed throughout the evening.
Special thanks to Erik Molbach, a good friend who likes to share his amazing collection of over 90 working typewriters. Without his knowledge and generosity, none of my typewriter-centric projects would be possible!