Letters to
the Editor.

To our esteemed correspondents,

There are few pleasures that ask so little of the appetite and so much of the attention as an oyster. It arrives without the consolations of ornament: a rough shell, a small measure of seawater, and a creature whose character cannot be persuaded into uniformity. To receive it thoughtfully is to acknowledge that the world remains capable of offering something particular.

We have established this modest journal in the belief that such particulars deserve a literature of their own. The oyster may occasion affection, disagreement, recollection, or an examination of the proper conduct of an afternoon. A remembered table may disclose more about companionship than an elaborate declaration. A preference for brine over sweetness may become an argument about place. Even the discipline of leaving the telephone untouched for a moment may acquire, beside a plate of oysters, the dignity of a principle.

We therefore invite you to write with seriousness, though solemnity is by no means compulsory. Wit is welcome when it has been considered; extravagance is welcome when it has been earned. Tell us why the first oyster of an evening differs from the last, why a particular shore remains present in the memory, or why the simple act of sharing a dozen can restore proportion to a difficult day.

Our sole request is that the language should honour the attention being asked of the reader. Let the sentences be complete, the observations precise, and the affection sufficiently patient to sustain two hundred and fifty words. No expertise is required. A clear mind, a generous spirit, and something sincerely observed will serve admirably.

We await your correspondence with the greatest anticipation.

Yours faithfully,
The Editors