This is a studio both and production. In two thousand and five, I
was gifted a bound collection of letters that would, in many senses change my
life. It was over a hundred pages of handwritten letters from the late nineteen
eighties between a landlord and two of his tenants. The letters are at first
ridiculous, then insane, and then ultimately two insane to be believed. And
that's where this podcast actually begins, because those letters would send me on a
few fifteen year investigation to find the truth about the letters and the people who
wrote them, if they ever actually existed. That investigation would force me to
ask myself a lot of questions from the comedic whose responsibility is it to replace
dead fish at a rental? And how exactly does someone break a refrigerator with
a leg of lamb, to the philosophical, like who owns a story?
When does nonfiction become fiction? And how are we as consumers responsible for the
blurred line between the two. The Karen and Ellen Letters are equal parts mystery
and comedy. It's a deep dive investigation into both found writings and humanity.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll google endlessly, and you'll laugh so hard
you cry, you'll hear the actual letters, along with my fifteen year journey
to get to the bottom of them. The Karen and Ellen letters arrive on
September fifth, July first, nineteen eighty seven. Dear Mark, when I
signed the lease last week, I pointed out the burned out light bulb in
the refrigerator. You said if I replaced it myself, I could deduct the
cost for my next month's rent, along with any other small expenses that were
your responsibility. So I'm sending you this list of things I plan will deduct
from my August rent list. Number one one refrigerator light bulb two dollars two,
oven light bulb two dollars three, shed padlock eight dollars four, telephone
installation thirty seven dollars five, telephone thirty six dollars six, telephone extension cord
nine dollars seven, hangers for closets in bedrooms twelve dollars. Eight extra front
door keys, u okade six dollars nine, fish food ten dollars ten,
I'll jacide five dollars eleven, garden tools sixteen dollars twelve, ice trade for
freezer two dollars thirteen, cleaning stuff forty six dollars. Karen, July twenty
first, nineteen eighty seven. Dear Mark, Hello, I'm just writing to
let you know how much I'm looking forward to moving into my new home.
Karen has described the house to me, and it sounds well dreamy. I
know we will get along famously. As you know, I'm an artist and
i'm majoring an interior design at you see, I'm looking forward to trying out
some of my ideas on my new home. I'm leaving money matters to Karen.
Being an artist, I'm not as practical as she is. I've been
studying art in Washington this summer. One of the things I've learned here is
a new oil transfer process for marbleizing walls and ceilings. Of course, I'll
check with you before doing any work on my walls, but I know you'll
just love it. I have a gauzy picture in my mind of the house.
Now I know that the work, imagination, and some financial assistance from
you, I can turn my new home into an enchanted place. Yours,
Helen oh August fifth, nineteen eighty seven, Karen, I will not debate
the electric bill with you. In the rental agreement, you signed you agreed
to pay half of the property's electric bill. I cannot measure the amount of
electricity used by you versus the amount of electricity used by the Caldwells and their
two cats. Read your rental agreement. Sincerely, Mark,