Postcard with a Baldwin quote in curving, cursive letters. An image of James Baldwin appears below the quote.
Book Fetish

Radical Bookish Postcards to Get You (And Your Loved Ones) Through the March Doldrums

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Laura Sackton

Senior Contributor

Laura Sackton is a queer book nerd and freelance writer, known on the internet for loving winter, despising summer, and going overboard with extravagant baking projects. In addition to her work at Book Riot, she reviews for BookPage and AudioFile, and writes a weekly newsletter, Books & Bakes, celebrating queer lit and tasty treats. You can catch her on Instagram shouting about the queer books she loves and sharing photos of the walks she takes in the hills of Western Mass (while listening to audiobooks, of course).

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A few years ago, I rediscovered my love of snail mail with a daily postcard habit. For a few months, I sent a postcard every day: to friends, family, and people I knew from the internet. And while it didn’t last forever, it was such a fun and simple way to connect with folks near and far. I also amassed a pretty amazing postcard collection!

I still love sending snail mail, and I often drop a postcard in the mail just to say hey. The great thing about postcards is that they can be short and sweet. I mean, you can cram a ton of words on there if you want, but you can also just dash off a few sentences or a joke or a draw a silly little comic. It’s fun for you and fun for the recipient. Everybody wins!

Maybe you’re a longtime letter-writer, or maybe you’re looking for a new hobby. Either way, it’s basically impossible to have too many postcards! These ones celebrate the lives and legacies of some of my absolute favorite writers and activists. You can find a postcard of literally anything, but I’m drawn to ones that are fiery and inspiring. These writers have enriched our world in countless ways, and these postcards are just a tiny reminder of that. And yes, you are allowed to buy a postcard and just stick it on your wall. Better yet, buy two: one to hang, and one to send!

A postcard showing a multimedia collage portrait of Toni Morrison in front of a mosaic background. The image is titled "Our Beloved".

There are so many beautiful Toni Morrison postcards out there, but I am partial to this gorgeous mixed media portrait, “Our Beloved”. $5

Postcard with a Robin Wall Kimmerer quote above an illustration of trees, a pond, flowers, and sky.

This beautiful postcard with a quote from Robin Wall Kimmerer is so soothing. The text reads: “The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness.” $7 for 5.

Postcard showing a black and white inked portrait of Zora Neale Hurston with a quote above printed in red letters.

I love the simple elegance of this Zora Neale Hurston postcard. The quote reads: “If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.” $1.50 each or 5 for $5.50. This shop also sells several similarly beautiful author postcards.

A postcard with a quote from Arundhati Roy printed in large block letters, next to a an illustration of woman wrapped in a shawl.

I adore this quote from Arundhati Roy, and I want to send this lovely postcard to basically everyone I know! The quote reads: “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” $4.50

Postcard with a Baldwin quote in curving, cursive letters. An image of James Baldwin appears below the quote.

No list of radical bookish postcards would be complete without at least one James Baldwin card. I love the image/quote combo here. The quote reads: “We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.” $5

Postcard with a black and white drawing of Virginia Woolf tapping a pencil against her lips. The words "fuck 'em" appear over and over again in small white text in the background.

Need to channel some big Virginia Woolf energy? Or maybe you know someone who could use some. Check out this amazing Fuck ‘Em Up Virginia Woolf postcard. $6 for pack of 5.

Postcard with a bright painted portrait of Audre Lorde. She has her hand on her chin, and she's wearing a red and white beaded necklace. The background is deep gold.

Sometimes you just want a postcard without any words on it. This bright and colorful Audre Lorde postcard has a mini biography on the back. $4

A postcard with a drawing of Joy Hard in profile, next to the words WRITE, written vertically. The background is dark green.

This Joy Harjo postcard is one I definitely want to send to all my writing friends and the young writers in my life! $5

Postcard with a print of Roxane Gay. Her eyes are closed and she's resting her hand on her chin. Behind her are green leaves and vines, and a golden circle behind her hand contains a quote.

All of MaeseArt’s work is stunning, but I especially love this intricate Roxane Gay postcard. There’s so much detail! Quote reads: “This body is resilient. It can endure all kinds of things. My body offers me the power of presence. My body is powerful.” $4

Postcard with a black and white ink sketch of Octavia Butler's face.

This original ink drawing of Octavia Butler is just stunning. I want this one to hang up by my desk and put in the mail, obviously. $5

Looking for more bookish snail mail inspiration? Check out this post about how I’ve found joy through writing bookish love notes during the pandemic. You might also peruse all of this lovely bookish stationery. And why not stock up now on literary holiday cards to send in December!