The Mysterious Arrival of an Unusual Letter

Originally published in Poetry, The Mysterious Arrival of an Unusual Letter is an enigmatic piece by the Canadian-born American poet, essayist, and translator Mark Strand. You can guess what the poem is about from the title but its content is rather less straightforward – you could even go as far as perplexing.

Still, it is an excellent subject for an animated short and animator and director Scott Wenner has risen to the challenge. It is an elegant and pared back animation and brings out the words of the poem beautifully. The mellifluous narration by John Olive is the icing on the cake.