Note: This is a free, shortened version of a S.W.P.C. Members-Exclusive Post.
As you’ve probably seen, I’ve recently corresponded with Tom Hanks, Warren Buffett, and Zor’Pax Faelrin III. I’ve yet to share the contents of my letter to Tom Hanks, but will certainly do so in due time. Warren Buffett’s response, meanwhile, was conveniently hand-written on the bottom of my letter, so the full context of the exchange lives on a single piece of paper — which is pretty cool.
Now, before proceeding, I would like to acknowledge that it’s at least a little weird that I’m writing to Tom Hanks and Warren Buffett in the first place. Celebrity worship, etc. But generally, I don’t view celebrities as being much different from anyone else, and so I don’t really hesitate at the idea of trying to contact one, in the same way I might try to contact an academic whose work I’m interested in. There are certainly times when I’ve reached out to someone and not heard back, but I must admit I’ve been generally surprised over the years at the high response rate you can get if you put thought into your communication.
And that brings us to writing letters.
When I was growing up, I dreamed of getting mail. Why? Well, because adults got mail and it seemed important. Postcards and birthday cards and money came in the mail. But, as I got older, particularly once I got a credit card, the mail quickly became a much less-than-fun experience. And increasingly, I must admit, my desired excitement of Getting Mail was being largely fulfilled by Amazon.
Then, last year, in the Summer of 2024, I made a declaration: I wanted a typewriter. I told my Mom to keep an eye out at garage sales, and soon enough, she picked up a 1948 Royal Quiet DeLuxe for $15. If you can believe it, the machine works like it just rolled out of the factory.
Acquiring a typewriter is one of the many strange decisions I’ve made over the last few years in my pursuit of, well, whatever it is I’m pursuing. Other decisions (like starting a Publishing Company in 2023 and closing my Substack to launch a physical-only newsletter in 2025) seem to equally reflect a disjointed and poorly-considered approach for success in our modern media landscape.
But, I’m much more interested in eccentricity and honesty than metrics and money. Certainly, my creative decisions over the last few years have reflected that in more than one way. The aesthetics of how we present our work, in the age of generative AI, seems more important than ever. And yet, it is certainly much easier to concede your free will to the machines, and let them do the hard thinking and creating for you, perhaps in exchange for an endless supply of Diet Dr. Pepper.
And so, Sometimes Weekly exists as the opposite of Short Form Content.
Don’t be afraid to wander from your theme, though, if another thought crosses your mind as you’re writing, but when you set out to write a letter to someone, you better have a theme.
I wrote to Warren Buffet two weeks after he announced his planned retirement from Berkshire Hathaway, so the theme of my letter was his career and legacy. From there, I dipped my toe into another territory: the “unideology” and “lack of humanity” being advanced by the new breed of American billionaires. The letter, I hope, had a relatively clear structure and flow. And the aesthetics were entirely human, as was his reply.
I truly believe the a e s t h e t i c s of the letters I’ve sent are, in part, why they have been getting through. That is: they look visually cohesive.
Although, in the case of Tom Hanks I should note that it’s relatively well-known within the “typosphere,” or the online typewriter community, that if you type a quality letter to Tom Hanks there’s a fair chance he’ll reply. But in the case of Warren Buffett, 94, I had no such assurance. And if I’m completely honest, I have no idea why I wrote to Warren Buffett. That letter was a true expression of my anxiety of our moment. My hand to God, after I sent it, I quickly forgot I had sent it. Yes, Sometimes Weekly is Sometimes Weekly again, indeed.
I think this goes without saying, but it’s essential you don’t just write letters/notes to celebrities! You must write to your family and friends, too.
Your correspondence doesn’t have to be long, it just has to be human. People love getting a personal note, however short, to show them that you were thinking of them.
So, with that, I hope you consider sending someone you love a letter. Then, maybe you will take the time to write to someone you admire, as well. You will find, I think, that you gain a great deal from taking the time to construct your thoughts in the format of a letter.
One last thing: it is not about perfection. If anything, any imperfections in your letters — today especially — will serve as a small signature of your humanity. Instead of perfection, I aim for truth and levity.
Cheers,
Nick Butler
Albany, NY
July 2025