Mabel's Letters: by Letter Writers of the Twentieth Century
BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
Publication Date: December 16, 2009
Author: Carolyn Hetzer Züttel
ABOUT BOOK
Mabel Hetzer saved Depression- and World War II-era letters from her brother, James, and others. He was first trying to “make it big on Broadway” but enlisted and then wrote from boot camp and the European Theater where he entertained troops with Mickey Rooney and lesser stars. These letters, which are a great cultural reflection of the times, were written mostly by James who both entertained his family with his tales and sustained their hopes for his success and return. West Virginia University Press wrote "There is much that is admirable and accomplished about this collection of letters written largely by James Hetzer to his family in Huntington, WV, between 1938 and 1946. An entertainer and a soldier, James Hetzer records in letters home his experiences on the road in the late '30s attempting to make it in show business and later his time in the US Military, including training at Camp Sibert and service in Europe during WWII where he provided entertainment for troops. Much of the vitality of the letters comes from the familiarity between the correspondents and the juncture between personal lives and public events. To help situate these lettters in history, the editor has inlcuded relevant newspaper clippings, mailing information, reproductions of envelopes, photographs, programs, and editoral commentary.
"Letters written by those who are not famous are too often uncollected and unread. If the writer is famous, readers tend to be more patient with mundane details, which can be imbued with a significance unavailable to the rest of us: what we had for breakfast just isn't that interesting. It is a testament to the liveliness of the voices in this collection that the letters remain a pleasure to read and achieve considerable warmth and humor.
