"I have such sad news": Loss in Finnish North American Letters
Life writing has been an important tool for people to work through loss in their lives. In the context of twentieth-century migration, word of death and shared mourning occurred primarily through letters in the international post. Focusing on letters written by Finnish immigrants in the United State...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Groningen Press
2018-05-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Life Writing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ejlw.eu/article/view/31520 |
| _version_ | 1811285710020280320 |
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| author | Samira Saramo |
| author_facet | Samira Saramo |
| author_sort | Samira Saramo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Life writing has been an important tool for people to work through loss in their lives. In the context of twentieth-century migration, word of death and shared mourning occurred primarily through letters in the international post. Focusing on letters written by Finnish immigrants in the United States and Canada from the 1940s–1960s, this article analyzes some of the ways that letter writing has been used to address death and loss. Positioning personal letters within the broader field of life writing, this work examines how both loss and life writing often trigger a re/defining of the self, addressed in multiple and ambiguous ways by individual mourner/writers. In its unsettling of life, feelings, and connections, loss is a rupture of the self. By narrating their life, writers create personal chronologies, position themselves in places and communities, and declare their values. The life writing of Finnish North Americans provides windows into the difficult work of trying to assign meaning to meaning-defying loss. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T02:48:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dc0132440f49421bb12bf7c350140289 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2211-243X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T02:48:07Z |
| publishDate | 2018-05-01 |
| publisher | University of Groningen Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Life Writing |
| spelling | doaj.art-dc0132440f49421bb12bf7c3501402892022-12-22T03:05:56ZengUniversity of Groningen PressEuropean Journal of Life Writing2211-243X2018-05-017537110.5463/ejlw.7.23531520"I have such sad news": Loss in Finnish North American LettersSamira Saramo0John Morton Center for North American Studies, University of TurkuLife writing has been an important tool for people to work through loss in their lives. In the context of twentieth-century migration, word of death and shared mourning occurred primarily through letters in the international post. Focusing on letters written by Finnish immigrants in the United States and Canada from the 1940s–1960s, this article analyzes some of the ways that letter writing has been used to address death and loss. Positioning personal letters within the broader field of life writing, this work examines how both loss and life writing often trigger a re/defining of the self, addressed in multiple and ambiguous ways by individual mourner/writers. In its unsettling of life, feelings, and connections, loss is a rupture of the self. By narrating their life, writers create personal chronologies, position themselves in places and communities, and declare their values. The life writing of Finnish North Americans provides windows into the difficult work of trying to assign meaning to meaning-defying loss.https://ejlw.eu/article/view/31520lettersdeathlossfinnish north americans |
| spellingShingle | Samira Saramo "I have such sad news": Loss in Finnish North American Letters European Journal of Life Writing letters death loss finnish north americans |
| title | "I have such sad news": Loss in Finnish North American Letters |
| title_full | "I have such sad news": Loss in Finnish North American Letters |
| title_fullStr | "I have such sad news": Loss in Finnish North American Letters |
| title_full_unstemmed | "I have such sad news": Loss in Finnish North American Letters |
| title_short | "I have such sad news": Loss in Finnish North American Letters |
| title_sort | i have such sad news loss in finnish north american letters |
| topic | letters death loss finnish north americans |
| url | https://ejlw.eu/article/view/31520 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samirasaramo ihavesuchsadnewslossinfinnishnorthamericanletters |