Dear Ms. Atwood,
You’ll probably never see this. Nonetheless, I felt compelled to write you this letter. You see, I adore you.
As a young(ish) writer and a life-long reader, I have loved your works for many years. I remember the first time I opened The Edible Woman. I was enthralled by it. At that time, I was a very single woman who, I am a bit ashamed to say, was consumed by the notion of wanting to be in a romantic relationship. Marian’s experiences in the novel helped me to understand, on a visceral level, the importance of ensuring I could formulate and understand my own opinions. It also helped me learn how to voice those opinions and make my own choices, lest I find myself disappearing into the wishes and desires of others.
And then there was The Handmaid’s Tale. To say this novel chilled me to the marrow of my bones would be an understatement of massive proportions. This is in no small part because of the many ways we are, even now, seeing the hard-won rights of women being systematically eroded. Indeed, there have been days when, reading the news, I have had to pause and confirm whether I was actually still on a credible news website, or if I had somehow inadvertently navigated to an online copy of The Handmaid’s Tale. Your ability to use stories to share an unvarnished accounting of the absurd dystopias around us and facing us continues to shed light on what is at stake each and every day. I could go on and on about your many various books and why I love them all, but I suppose I’d better get to the point.
At the heart of my unabashed love for you is the fact that you are a fellow Canadian, leading the way. In Canada, we seem to be raised being a little too modest and a little too humble to proudly take our place on the world’s stage. Representation matters, as they say, and you have led the way along the path of literary might for many wonderful Canadian authors.
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to attend an event you were speaking at. It was a fireside chat, of sorts. And for ninety minutes, I steeped myself in your wisdom and wit. I know I’m not telling you anything revolutionary. You’ve probably heard all this and more many times. But still, thank you for writing the books you write – they matter.
With love and respect,
Yvonne
PS: It took me a long time, Ms. Atwood, but I’m happy to report back that I did eventually marry someone who respects my independence, seeks out my thoughts and opinions, and cares for me as a whole human. Thanks for helping make sure I didn’t settle for less.