This is our 10th issue, and you may find—with the Petersons' journal and the unconventional approach to the letters page—that this issue has a few things to say or show about correspondence. This is important. From the start, we've had a letters section attached to each issue to promote this changing form of communication that we sometimes worry is dying out, or, at least, not getting its rightful due. The letters page has always, ideally, been your page, the readers' page. It's our attempt not only to get and publish feedback on this magazine, but also—as socially retarded as it may sound—to get people excited about the potential of correspondence.
   Yes, writing down your communication is less direct and less immediate than speaking to a person's face and eyes, but correspondence—which is just a fancy term for letter writing—is more permanent and often more special than speech. It's reproducible. It's storytelling with a specifically limited intended audience, which in turn, through its reproducibility, can be shared with an unintended audience. It's communal storytelling. It's honest voices.
   Whatever it is, we at The New Yinzer just kind of love letters. And we want you to love them. And so we have a little epistolary opportunity coming up that you might be interested in.
   At our 10th-Issue Anniversary Party on Saturday, 22 June 2002, The New Yinzer provided a simple guestbook of sorts to get its party people writing some interesting correspondence. The mized bag of writing we received was nice and entertaining. As promised, it is printed here, below, in its entirety. You are encouraged to read and enjoy.
   And, as always, we invite everyone to send us anything, any time, any day, to letters@newyinzer.com. We'll probably print it. Until then, we hope you enjoy this issue's stories and letters, and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely:
Eds.

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Why hasn't anyone written you a letter yet? People never want to write anymore.

I am fine. How are you?

Love

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Dear New Yinzer,

I like how you have the word "new" built into your name; I think it's a very good, strategic move on your part. Keep the 'burgh fresh. An especial congratulations on your 10th issue! Boy, am I excited about the bedtime stories! How did you know? Encourage things like this, and my eyes will be glued (no pun intended).

Yours truly,
Your childhood Teddy Bear

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Dear New Yinzer,

One word here: wow, whatta 'zine. Where do you go from here? Why, anywhere you want to. That's a real answer to a rhetorical question.

Keep the good stuff coming.

Sincerely Yours,
Bambi

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so happy with a mouthful of brownie at the New Yinzer party!

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I don't think this guest book is working out too well yet. Maybe it's too early yet. Maybe I'll come back and write an essay. L.

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We Need Kraft Singles—Lennis 's The New Yinzer

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Good. Your Mamma! Embrace the unobvious! What percent of slackability are you?

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Excuse me—the doorman was making fun of me and he asked for a suggested donation. Excuse me—the beer girl is some drunk weirdo and um, well, I just think this whole thing is too loud.

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I really love your magazine and hope to see it in print like on paper one day. Keep up the good work.

Karen

P.S. I still love your work Jenn!!

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Yo, yo, yo what up
I dig the stuff
It ain't ruff
Sincerely,
Officer McRuff

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Ok. I just went next door to use the restroom and I remembered that I always meant to write a letter responding to the public bathroom's piece in Issue 1 or 2. When I enter a bathroom I review it for design. Is this designed well? Does the door open in or out? How far away from the sink are the paper towel dispensers? How much room is there in the stall? Is there enough room to squat? To hang a coat? I do croutch. I don't find it barbaric—people in Asia squat all the time. The toilets are close to the ground [simple sketch]. In Japan the "Western" toilets are often very elaborate with bidets and seat temperature controls. Some play music. Many public restrooms have noise makers on the wall to mask unseemly sounds.

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Since I haven't written for you yet, here is an original work of poetry first composed for the Spam Haiku web site:

"Spam" backwords is "maps"
Maps tell you where the Spam is
Find it, then eat it.

How true. How true.
[illegible signature that resembles Kennywood's Thunderbolt rollercoaster]

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