When Linda Grace Hoyer wasn’t busy writing her short stories and other works of fiction, she was often busy writing letters to her family and friends. Much of this correspondence was between mother and son – writing which began in earnest when John Updike left the farm house in Plowville, Pennsylvania to study at Harvard in the fall of 1950. This collection will contain digitized letters and postcards spanning nearly forty years. Portions of the collection will be added to the repository as time and resources permit.
Permissions to use these images for anything other than educational use should be directed to the Special Collections Department of the Myrin Library at Ursinus College.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 30, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda urges John not to worry about the family finances while also emphasizing the importance of his academic scholarship. She relates a story about the misadventures of the family dog and reveals another avenue of research for her novel.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 28, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda writes about some of the events going on in Plowville, such as farms being sold and rumors of highway department surveyors.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 25, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda discusses interactions with church members and others who brought up unpleasant memories of the past.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 24, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda discusses the latest Harvard Lampoon and mentions seeing John's old friends in Shillington. She also describes conflicting feelings about the portrayal of American women in a recent episode of America's Town Meeting of the Air.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 22, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda discusses how writing to John is increasing her confidence in her fiction writing. She updates John about her husband's improved teaching performance, noting that spirits are currently high on "Strawberry Hill."
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 19, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda discusses her views on books John has been using in his studies. She continues to ponder her own, and her husband Wesley's, fascination with Ernest Hemingway's latest novel.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 17, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda details her progress with the Juan Ponce de Leon novel. Linda asks John if he can conduct research on some of the historical aspects of the novel.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 15, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda inquires about John's school work and describes some of the reading she has been doing - noting her husband Wesley's interest in the latest novel by Ernest Hemingway.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 12, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda describes the struggles John's father is having at his teaching job. She inquires about John's health and notes that the family finances will be in good order thanks to the sale of hay to another farm.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 10, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda writes about gifts given and received over the holidays. She encourages John's work on the Harvard Lampoon and describes progress with her own writing projects.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 8, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda mentions the current political climate as the family awaits the State of the Union address. She also describes a visit from the Kramer family.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 6, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda updates John about the family dogs and animal trapping in the area. She details her thoughts on the film, The Glass Menagerie, and recommends the writing advice of Richard Armour.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, January 4, 1951
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda updates John about her work on the Dear Juan novel, asking him to locate historic information for the setting of the book. She also relates the latest adventures of the family dogs.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, December 11, 1950
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda asks about John's grades and his plans for returning home for Christmas. Linda discusses her husband's reaction to "the dog story" and writes about her mother joining the Lutheran church.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, December 7, 1950
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda apologizes for inserting her opinions regarding Nancy Wolf. Linda updates John about the finances of the farm, and comments on the health of her husband, Wesley.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, December 6, 1950
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda praises John on his school work and anticipates his return home for Christmas. Linda reminisces about her desire to be an essayist in her youth.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, December 3, 1950
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda updates John about recent events in the Lutheran Evangelical church. She comments on John's latest Harvard cartoon and inquires about his plans to return during the holiday break.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, December 1, 1950
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda is critical of John's relationship with Nancy Wolf and expresses disappointment that he called her home during Thanksgiving vacation.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, November 29, 1950
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda addresses her views on the world, and provides John with advice about peace. Linda speaks critically about television newscasters and the war in Korea.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, November 27, 1950
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda comments on John's latest portrait taken at Harvard and notes how he is changing. Linda describes the family's Thanksgiving in Trenton, New Jersey.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, November 24, 1950
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda describes unhappiness in the way she has been treated by her husband, Wesley. She also details her thoughts about the film, Sunset Boulevard.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, November 22, 1950
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda inquires about John's plans to return home over the holiday season. Linda updates John about life at home and asks about his finances while away at college.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, November 21, 1950
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda provides an update about the health of her husband, Wesley. Linda describes the burden of growing old, and the workings of the farm in Plowville.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, November 18, 1950
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda describes the Shillington High School play, and provides details about some of John's high school class mates. Linda praises John about his academic achievements while at college and updates John about life at home.
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Letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to John Updike, November 16, 1950
Linda Grace Hoyer
In this typed letter from Linda Grace Hoyer to her son, John Updike, Linda congratulates John on an award he received for his writing on the high school Chatterbox publication. Linda discusses the diaries kept by her father and questions whether church attendance will improve the life of her mother.
