Letters of Note: New York

by Shaun Usher

In Letters of New York , Shaun Usher curates a collection of extraordinary written exchanges about the Big Apple, from the marvelling of wide-eyed newcomers and the devoted outpourings of native citizens, to the frustrated outcries of the dispossessed and the fond reminiscences of old-timers.

Includes letters
Italo Calvino, Ralph Ellison,
Kahlil Gibran, Helen Keller,
Martin Scorsese, Saum Song Bo, Anaïs Nin
& many more

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction

Paperback

Published May 6, 2021

About the author

Shaun Usher is a writer, editor, and compulsive collector of remarkable words. He is the author of Letters of Note, an international bestseller that began life as a blog and grew into a celebrated series of books and inspired the live stage show Letters Live, which he has co-produced since 2013. He has published 16 books so far, covering everything from love and grief to music, dogs, and outer space, and in October 2025 will release his 17th, Diaries of Note: 366 Lives, One Day at a Time, a curated journey through a year’s worth of diary entries from history. He lives in Manchester with his wife, Karina, and their three children.

Reviews

[Giulia Castelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una raccolta di lettere molto varia per temi e date (si va dal 1785, due anni dopo la fine della guerra d'Indipendenza americana, al 2011, decimo anniversario dell'attentato al World Trade Center) che rende perfettamente lo spessore storico e culturale di una città come New York, con le sue luci e le sue ombre, divisiva ma mai banale.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure I would have enjoyed this eclectic collection of letters in print form but the audiobook, narrated by a cast of big-name actors, was excruciating! The actors tried far too hard, doing the aural version of chewing the scenery. I gave up at the attempt at Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ breathy voice which veered into bad parody.

I loved the cover though.

[Martha.O.S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I inadvertently bought this book instead of Helene Hanff’s This is a lovely collection of letters from a range of famous writers, musicians, engineers relating to time spent in New York and their perceptions of it. The letters were chosen by Shaun Usher, who curated similar collections of letters and clearly has a good eye for what works. The letters are a snapshot of New York at very particular times in history and combine to show the city in its wondrous breadth, the melting pot of cultures that it is, and it’s particular character that so many people seem to be drawn to.

This was a quick read, but an insightful glimpse at New York at a particular time in history. I really liked EB White’s letter complaining about cabs and his illustrations for better and more practical ones. Helen Keller’s letter describing all she could ‘see’ was amazing in all she did see and how accurately her words captured the essence of New York. The violence of the Stonewall Riots was captured as it happened, gay rights activism as it swept the city and the many accounts of racism in its many forms were in no way dumbed down.

So while this was not my intended book about New York, it was one I was glad I happened upon and just the right read for me now.