The correspondence of René Descartes and Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia—a debate about mind, soul, and immortality. By Anthony Gottlieb.

Terry Southern’s life in letters. By Will Stephenson. (Mar. 22, 2016)

When Hunter S. Thompson was 22 years old, he was contacted by a friend looking for advice on the meaning of life. His response was bizarrely profound, especially for his age, packing the punch of a heavyweight philosopher or seasoned-author. This letter, never meant to be published...

Sealed with a kiss, the 1940 note reflects the "earthly human love" between Kahlo and fellow artist Diego Rivera. By Patti Smith.

Sometimes it can seem as though the more we think we know a historical figure, the less we actually do. Helen Keller? We’ve all seen (or think we’ve seen) some version of The Miracle Worker, right?—even if we haven’t actually read Keller’s autobiography. And Mark Twain? He can seem like an old family friend...