Helpful instructions from L.C. of Ann Arbor, Michigan

WHAT I GOT: Lots of different pieces of paper containing useful advice, from instructions on how to escape from an aeroplane when it has crashed into the sea, and a recipe for a pie, to life-changing sayings such as "Seek not to follow in the footsteps of men of old; seek what they sought", and, er, "Play with your Food".

REACTION: What could be more helpful?! L.C. clearly has my welfare at heart and I am very grateful. (However, how is L.C. going to cope with life now that s/he has sent all the instructions to me? Oh no!)
 

Translucent mysteries from Katja of Stockholm, Sweden

WHAT I GOT: Translucent yellow paper with developed camera film, notes, and some kind of instructions for wheeling patients on hospital trolleys (?). This came in a lovely home-made envelope in orange translucent paper.

REACTION: A very nice piece of post. Intriguing. Part of it is about the death of nature. The other part shows a young man and wonders "Jann, isn't he adorable? Why don't I fall in love with him?" Well indeed, why don't you, Katja? Unfortunately she didn't include an email address, so we might never find out.
 

Card to welcome new book into the world from Magda of Manchester, UK

WHAT I GOT: Home-made card, usually used to welcome babies into the world, but here used to say hello to my new book. Magda also wanted to know about the way in which I'd done interviews by email (so I told her).

REACTION: How kind, to send a card in honour of my new book. Magda's research sounds interesting too. Hurray.

Entire artwork from Kristen of Baltimore, Maryland

WHAT I GOT: A big package (approx. one square metre) containing an artwork which is a mix of paint-by-numbers with a collage built on top. It's great. I wasn't very interested in collage until I saw a great exhibition of it curated by Peter Blake at Tate Liverpool in 2000. That was really good - I particularly liked the way in which the show invited you to make your own work (and not just in an art gallery trying-to-be-cool kind of way). Kristen sent this because "I want you to have it plus I'm having a good week".

REACTION: Marvellous. And he sent this big thing all the way from Baltimore. Isn't that where John Walters makes all his films? Brilliant. Very happy.

Pen and green seal from Lacey in Texas

WHAT I GOT: A nice letter, a pen from MailBoxes Etc in San Antonio, where Lacey works, and a green seal which had lived in her desk drawer for three years. Lacey also included the URL of her homepage, which includes book reviews which "are all out of date and awful". Fancy!

REACTION: A great piece of post. Useful pen. Nice seal.
 

Notes and flier from Sanja in Yugoslavia

WHAT I GOT: A sheet of scribbled notes - highlights include "772132" and "Recording 787h,79". What can it all mean? Plus a flier for Asterix & Obelix 2.

REACTION: This is just the kind of everyday stuff that it's nice to receive from places like Yugoslavia. Thank you to Sanja.
 
 

Keyring, poster and card from Örjan in Kalmar, Sweden

WHAT I GOT: A Swedish bottle-opening keyring, Örjan's name card, and a big poster of philosopher H.G. Gadamer (too big for me to scan and show here).

REACTION: Very nice. Do they have big posters of philosophers in Sweden? The Gadamer poster says that it is no. 17 in a series! This would never happen in Britain. Thank you very much to Örjan for the lovely items.
 

Various award badges, plus keyring and candles, from Tay Seow Boon in Singapore

WHAT I GOT: Three 'National Swimming Survival Award' badges, three 'Model Reader' badges, a Hello Kitty badge, a pack of candles, a 'Memories of Malaka' foot-shaped keyring, and a card explaining that these are childhood relics.

REACTION: Great - I really like the award badges and have worn the 'Yu Neng Model Reader' badge in a bid to gain respect from my peers. The other stuff was very good too, and I have another keyring for my collection! Yay!
 

Zines, cards and stickers from Zoe in Monroe, New York

WHAT I GOT: A zine called Mystery Date - One Gal's Guide to Good Stuff, and a zine called Thrift Score - The zine about thriftin'. These are both brilliant. I love people's personal zines because they are so quirky and creative and expressive of the author's personality, and because I know from my own experience how time-consuming they are to do - a labour of love always. I also got a very generous collection of cards and postcards, starring such delights as Barbarella, hippy posters, and the Docklands Light Railway, which Zoe says she loves! Is this irony? I don't know. Plus Smash Hits cards featuring stars of yesteryear such as Lolly and Cleopatra.

REACTION: Delightful! Not just old junk but a great collection of really interesting things. The tagline on the Barbarella postcard says "Who gives up the pill? Who takes sex to outer space? Who's the girl of the 21st century?". What does "Who gives up the pill?" mean? I thought that in the 1960s they thought the pill was great. Oh history is so hard to understand. But anyway a big thank you to Zoe for the items.
 

Various items, badge and a cool keyring from Alea in Jefferson City, Tennessee

WHAT I GOT: A lot of stuff, not all of which I could fit on my scanner, but including a wooden bunny rabbit in a plant pot which Alea was understandably eager to get rid of, and other items including a Route 66 badge and the brilliant keyring you see pictured. Who is this strange monster?

REACTION: A very good set of stuff, and I really like the monster on the keyring. Not sure whether I will be using the mini-book Entertaining for Dummies, which advises you to tell guests what to wear so that they won't have to guess. It suggests that guests will be much happier if you tip them off with information such as "My husband will be wearing a sport coat, but not a tie". This is freaky. I didn't know they were publishing these For Dummies books in the 1950s!
Thanks to Alea for all the stuff.
 

Wood from Karen in Toronto, Canada

WHAT I GOT: A piece of wood! In fact, as well as being a piece of wood, it is a Jenny Holzer artwork. Holzer puts 'surprising' messages in everyday formats - here one of those wood slogan boards, that usually say things like "You don't have to be mad to work here but it helps", is used to say something rather more thought-provoking. The picture on the right shows both the front and the back, obviously. On the back Karen says "I thought it would be fun to send wood through the mail" which is quite correct. Describing herself as "from Canada (home of the softwood lumber controversy!)" added extra value.

REACTION: Not received a piece of wood in the post before. And it's an artwork too. Very brilliant.

Booklet from Jake in Ontario, Canada

WHAT I GOT: A booklet entitled "The Shames of Henry James", made by Jake. Each page shows the same picture of Henry James but with something different added to each. In one, he seems to have become a woman. In another, he has a Hitler moustache. In one more, he is saying "Fuck".

REACTION: Unusual homemade booklet thing! Good. They have a lot of time on their hands in Canada, do they?