Bessie

Dear Valeria,

Before the white man became universally disliked for his mental outlook it was there. (Maru 1971, p. 5.)

Love and peace,

Bessie Head

Wilma

 Dear Valeria,

“Europeans brought with them the view that men were the absolute head of households, and women were to be submissive to them. It was then that the role of women in Cherokee society began to decline. One of the new values Europeans brought to the Cherokees was a lack of balance and harmony between men and women. It was what we today call sexism. This was not a Cherokee concept. Sexism was borrowed from Europeans.”

Regards,

Wilma Mankiller

María

Querida Valeria,

¡Hasta la Republica! ¡Hasta la Libertad!

María Pacheco

Trevor

 Dear Valeria,

Peace sister,

Trevor Carter (co-founder of the Notting Hill Carnival)

Marjory

 Dear Valeria,

By shedding tears of blood we praise King T'hamara,
Whose praises I, not ill-chosen, have told forth.
For ink I have used a lake of jet, and for pen a pliant crystal.
Whoever hears, a jagged spear will pierce his heart!

The Knight in the Panther’s Skin: Stanza 4
Translated by Marjory Scott Wardrop

Love,

Marjory Scott Wardrop

Eunice

Dear Valeria,

By Eunice Newton Foote (1856). "Circumstances affecting the heat of the Sun’s rays": Art. XXXI, The American Journal of Science and Arts, 2:XXII/no. LXVI, November 1856, p. 382-383

Aïcha

Dear Valeria,

ma as-salaama!

Aïcha Chenna

Rabbie

Dear Valeria,

Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie,
O, what a pannic’s in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi’ bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee,
Wi’ murd'ring pattle!

Yours,

Robert Burns

Narihira

Dear Valeria,

Even the almighty
gods of old
never knew
such beauty:
on the river Tatsuta
in autumn sunlight
a brocade—
reds flowing above
blue water below.

Go in peace,

Ariwara no Narihira

B.B.

 Dear Valeria,

The sound that you’re listening to is from my guitar
That’s named Lucille. I’m very crazy about Lucille.
Lucille took me from the plantation. Oh you might say,
Brought me fame.
I don’t think I could just talk enough about Lucille.
Sometime when I’m blue seem like Lucille try to help
me call my name.

B.B. “King of the Blues” King

Bella

Dear Valeria,

I’ve been described as a tough and noisy woman, a prize fighter, a man-hater, you name it. They call me Battling Bella, Mother Courage, and a Jewish mother with more complaints than Portnoy. There are those who say I’m impatient, impetuous, uppity, rude, profane, brash, and overbearing. Whether I’m any of those things, or all of them, you can decide for yourself. But whatever I am—and this ought to be made very clear—I am a very serious woman.

Love,

 “Battling” Bella Savitzky Abzug

Juliette

Dear Valeria,

Yours,

Juliette Wytsman

Harry

Dear Valeria,

I’m perfect!

Sincerely Yours,

Harry “Little Tich” Relph

Marie

Dear Valeria,

Sit down…



Let me tell you a story.

Marie Hassenpflug

John

 Dear Valeria,

Rock on,

John Henry “The Beast” Bonham

Marija

Dear Valeria,

Remember to always punch nazis.

Yours in power,

Marija Bursać

Erna

 Dear Valeria,

Look at this good boy!

Grüße,

Erna Mohr

Arthur

 Dear Valeria,

All best,

Arthur Rackham

Chadwick

Dear Valeria,

“Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another, as if we were one single tribe.”

Chadwick Boseman

Fiammetta

Dear Valeria,

Never forget to look at the sky! 

Much love,

Fiammetta Wilson