Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) was an avid letter writer, and more than seven thousand of his letters have survived. The best-known collection today is Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, first published in 1929. Two other letter collections appeared around the same time and gained high acclaim among readers yet are virtually unknown today. They are Letters to a Young Woman (1930) and Letters on God (1933). With this volume, Annemarie S. Kidder makes available to an English-speaking audience two of the earliest collections of Rilke letters published after his death. The thematic collection On God-- here published in English for the first time--contains two letters by Rilke, the first an actual letter written during World War I, in 1915 in Munich, the second a fictional one composed after the war, in 1922 at Muzot, in Switzerland. In these letters, Rilke builds on the mystical view of God conceived of in The Book of Hours, but he moves beyond it, demonstrating a unique vision of God and Christ, the church and religious experience, friendship and death. The collection Letters to a Young Woman comprises nine of Rilke's letters, written to a young admirer, Lisa Heise, over the course of five years, from 1919 to 1924. Though Rilke and Heise never met, Rilke emerges in these letters as the compassionate listener and patient teacher who with level-headed sensitivity affirms and guides the movements of another person's soul.

Letters written to F.X. Kappus during the years 1903-1908. Chronicle of Rilkes's life for the years 1903-1908 (p. 81-123).

In January 2020, Jana Marie Rose (aka, MotherJana) traveled to Paris to write a book of letters to a young woman about the future of women in the 21st century. While sharing her own story of pain and loss, she encourages young women to find strength in being unique individuals, in meditation, in traveling alone, and releasing the shame and trauma of patriarchal religion. They can do this, she advises, with the aid of the yoga guru SexyJesus. She also shares her biggest dream and the stories of friends she makes in Paris.

Essential reading for scholars, poetry lovers, and anyone with an interest in Rainer Maria Rilke, German poetry, or the creative impulse, these ten letters of correspondence between Rilke and a young aspiring poet reveal elements from the inner workings of his own poetic identity. The letters coincided with an important stage of his artistic development and readers can trace many of the themes that later emerge in his best works to these messages—Rilke himself stated these letters contained part of his creative genius.

A fresh perspective on a beloved classic by acclaimed translators Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy. German poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s (1875–1926) Letters to a Young Poet has been treasured by readers for nearly a century. Rilke’s personal reflections on the vocation of writing and the experience of living urge an aspiring poet to look inward, while also offering sage wisdom on further issues including gender, solitude, and romantic love. Barrows and Macy’s translation extends this compilation of timeless advice and wisdom to a fresh generation of readers. With a new introduction and commentary, this edition places the letters in the context of today’s world and the unique challenges we face when seeking authenticity.

Over the course of twenty-two letters, author Allison Trowbridge addresses a wide range of practical issues and ties them to larger concerns such as identity, loss, social impact as a lifestyle, wisdom in the ordinary moments, and the profound way God’s work is realized in how we live every day. Subtly weaving in today’s pressing social concerns—from poverty in our neighborhoods to human trafficking across the globe—Twenty-Two will inspire a greater sense of mission and a passion to live more fully as young women embark on their own remarkable journeys. Allison Trowbridge harnesses the power of story in a series of letters to an imagined young woman wrestling with the questions that arise as she stands on the precipice of adulthood. Never in history has a young woman had so many options before her, yet never has she had less direction or guidance on what to do with them. A woman at the precipice of adulthood often finds herself with more questions than answers, with more disenchantment than direction. How is she supposed to “lean in” to a successful career while also building deeply meaningful relationships? How can she care for the community around her while simultaneously developing a global mindset and changing the world? How can she be all that she is destined to be without feeling paralyzed by the pressure of so many prospects? Allison Trowbridge knows this dilemma well. She remembers stepping into her twenties and wishing for a mentor to guide her through this dizzying season of life. In Twenty-Two, she becomes the mentor she was looking for. Drawing from her own experience and from the wisdom of others, she offers advice and counsel in a series of personal letters to “Ashley,” a fictional college student looking for mentorship from someone one step ahead in life.

Shares God's unconditional love and shows teen girls just how devoted God is to them, no matter who they are, what they look like, or what others say about them.