Power of the Letter

In one of the more than 1,100 letters John Adams and his wife, Abigail, wrote to each other, he penned the following: "Now letter-writing is, to me, the most agreeable amusement, and writing to you the most entertaining and agreeable of all letter-writing."

I always knew I liked John Adams, and this is just one more reason. I too, firmly believe in the power of the letter. Whereas JA's generation left us a handwritten historical treasures, our e-mail dependent society is going to leave nothing but an infinite jumble of "I thought you'd enjoy this..." and generic Viagra solicitations. To quote the USPS's feelings on the same topic, "it's easy to forget the value of a heartfelt, handwritten letter. But the written word holds a singular place in the American story. In his prolific correspondence, John Adams left us a remarkable first-person account of the birth of our nation, as well as a candid portrait of his life and personal relationships. John and his wife Abigail's letters offer a window to our past; we can be inspired to revive this tradition, to return to the enduring power of the written word, and leave a legacy for future generations." Amen.

That is why the United States Postal Service, HBO and Paul Giamatti have all partnered with me, yes me, to bring back the power of the letter. As JA once said, "Let us dare to think, speak, read and write."

This month, HBO is releasing a seven-part mini-series based on our second president's life and the best selling book, titled appropriately enough, John Adams. Based on my recommendations, they have tapped Paul Giamatti to play JA and Laura Linney to play Abigail. I, a major fan of written correspondence, am one of the film's unofficial executive producers. For those of us lucky enough to have HBO (I do not), the mini-series begins March 16 at 8 p.m.

Just remember it was all my idea. I had to fight to get Laura Linney.