Letters From Dead People is an ongoing ephemera-based story delivered monthly by New Orleans artist L. Delaney.
Step into a world where past and present merge. Where meanings are hidden between lines, and heroes and villains disguise their secrets in code. When you open a box, the scent of age-stained pages greets your nose....
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Letters from Dead People
The Subscription Box: Letters From Dead People
The Cost: $12.99 per month + free US shipping. A 3-month subscription is $34.99 ($11.66 per box).
The Products: 'A monthly letter delivered from New Orleans – 100 years ago.'
Ships to: Worldwide
December Letters from Dead People Review
The items this month came wrapped in a doily with a feather for decoration.
This letter is hard to photograph because it's printed on semi-translucent paper. It begins:
Greetings from New Orleans, where it is ever warm and no flakes fall.
It explains that this month's parcel is a departure from those past – instead of clues related to the main story – the disappearance of spiritualist Mina Bird – we will be treated to a ghost story!
...dim the lamps, light a few candles and draw about you those associates most sympathetic to your peculiarities. Once every ear attends, read aloud this tale which I have transcribed for your pleasure. It is one of my very favorites.
The story is written on four pages, and I'm sad to say that I didn't have the opportunity to read it aloud. Set in New Orleans, it's the story of a man who rents a room in a spookily decrepit townhouse while he searches for his lost love, who has run away or disappeared somehow. He has reason to think she might have been there – but the truth is darker than he suspects.
The bottom pages were punched with snowflakes.
After reading the intro letter and the story, I wasn't sure what to expect of this little folded note.
Maman has promised to kill you if you return, and if she doesn't, I surely will.
I'm always tempted to leave items like this somewhere that another person might find it, just to completely confuse someone.
Despite the promise that this parcel would simply be a ghost story, I believe this one's related to Mina Bird's disappearance. It mentions a 'lucky card', which was one of the items from the last parcel.
The final item was this little glassine envelope.
Paper snowflakes! Are they random, or might there be some clue within? I didn't find any clues here, but I've missed things before.
Verdict: I really enjoyed December's story and will use the little snowflakes in future projects. The whole parcel felt cold and wintry, from the colors to the snowflake theme to the chilling story. I really enjoy the clever writing and the sense of mystery in this subscription; I think it's worth the $12.99 price.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? If you order today, you will receive the February parcel. From Letters From Dead People:
Order anytime of the previous month to get the current box! For example, if you order by December 30th you box will ship on January 1st.
Check out the Subscription Box Directory for more mystery and crime-themed boxes!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of December's Letters From Dead People?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.