Letter From C.S. Lewis
Pat Sajak ·
April 10, 2012 at 2:49am
Sorry to bother all of you with still another link, but I found this letter from C.S. Lewis to a young American fan extremely touching. It helps explain this gentle man's greatness in so many ways. I wonder if today's writers would take the time to do this sort of thing. (This, by the way, is a very nice site.)
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Jun '10
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Very nice. He responded to thousands of letters. Infinitely great writing advice too.
Aug '10
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Thank you for sharing that. Funny how I always feel better after reading anything by C.S. Lewis.
Feb '11
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
My now-15 year old son and I used to discuss the issue of "amn't" "I am not" "aren't I" etc. He never was satisfied -- and neither was I -- with my lame assertion that amn't simply isn't a proper contraction in English.
But it should be. He still uses it occasionally.
Sep '10
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Don't apologize, Pat. That's a lovely letter, and the daylight will seem a little brighter when I remember it in future.
I've been a fan of C. S. Lewis ever since I found The Screwtape Letters, which is still one of the funniest books I've ever read.
Edited on April 10, 2012 at 10:47pmJun '11
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Thanks Pat. Can't wait for my daughter to read this.
Nov '10
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
This is the first I've heard of amn't.
Dec '11
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
As a former English teacher, I must say Lewis' five points are excellent. They'll end up on a wall in large, bold letters when I get back to teaching.
Oct '11
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Thanks Pat! This is a great piece of literary history and solid advice for writers of any level.
Lewis has always been a influential presence in my life. The Narnia tales were some of the first books I read as a child. Screwtape and Mere Christianity helped see me through my questioning adolescence. His wit and wisdom always leave me confirmed about by highest inclinations and convicted of my worst. Even more than half a century later his writings are still a great solicitor of the Word to tined modern ears.
They've recently collected the surviving letters from his childhood to his death in three impressive volumes. I heartily recommend picking them up, they are enjoyable, insightful and edifying
Edited on April 10, 2012 at 5:06amApr '12
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Just read and discussed this with my Freshman Comp class last week. Excellent counsel, bordering on the profound in the first paragraph!
Nov '10
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Thanks, Mr. Sajak. Dr. Lewis saved my neck once many years ago and has sustained me since. I try to reread Screwtape and Mere Christianity at least once a year. I find periodically returning to fundamentals always helpful.
Dec '11
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Thanks, Pat. That was a great letter and really made me feel better as I grew up saying "amn't" and used it frequently well into my 20's. (My parents are from Ireland and I assume that's where I learned it.) When my wife began "mildly correcting" me as an adult, I found myself terribly embarrassed that I had been using it all those years and, I assumed, sounding very poorly educated. Nice to know that I had C.S. Lewis out there giving me a pass!
Jun '10
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Ditto here. I'm getting to the point that I can quote pieces of both books--each reading discloses a new layer of wisdom or sheer goodness.
Mar '11
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Wait a minute - didn't smart, highly educated, Liberals say that Sarah Palin was stupid for liking that well-known children's author, C.S. Lewis?
Nov '10
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
I love Letters of Note! It's a wonderful site. Here's a letter by Frederick Douglas that I recently read.
Oct '10
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Good Morning Pat-- Thanks for sharing these words to write by! On Easter, my husband and I were telling his mother all about Ricochet and the literary Easter eggs that are your posts and podcast additions. It's been a thrill to discover you, Rob, Peter, James and all the others. With all of you nestling in the Ricochet basket, we don't have to hunt too hard for our treats!
Aug '10
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
TV journalists and sportscasters could learn a lot from this letter - particularly item #5: "Don't use words too big for the subject." They all seem to be intent on making every phrase a breathless exaggeration, rather than tell the news story. Hyperbole abounds to the point they run out of hyperboles.
Mar '11
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Excellent. I'll add a pet peeve of my own: Don't use "utilize" when "use" will do, which is damn near always.
Sep '10
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Dear Pat ... I cannot imagine that you haven't already heard this one but I'll repeat it anyway since I do love the sound of my own voice:
"I have read your book and found it both good and original. Unfortunately what is good is not original, and what is original is not good. Sincerely. Groucho Marx".
PS: I bookmarked that site. Thanks for finding it!
Carsten Stroud
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Purest gold. Thanks, Pat.
Re: Letter From C.S. Lewis
Michael, I see you joined Ricochet this very month. Bienvenidos!