Someone who consciously accumulates and keeps the scraps of his or her life is creating a personal archive, a material collection that tells the story of his or her life. The materials become the essence of the meaning of personal history and, in the case of letters, stand-ins for the people and relationships—and life—they left behind.

Through both writing and saving his letters and accumulating the rest of his collection, Chris made order out of the chaos of relocation and of a sometimes traumatic childhood, and he learned how to live in a new and very different place. Chris’s materials were like a protective cloak he could wrap himself in when life became difficult or overwhelming—it was a warmth made of paper.