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Modern-Day Love Letters: 7 Celebrity Authors

hand holding pen letter writing with red rose

As technology progresses, the manner in which we express love has gradually changed. Gone are the days of handwritten love letters as we venture onto the information superhighway and become restricted to 140 words or less. From emails to texts and IMing, many of us would deem ourselves lucky if we ever receive a post-it note with an "I love you" on it.

In celebration of the ever-evolving love letter, here are a few famous men who will go down in history for declaring their love in writing:

1.  Coach John Robert Wooden: The recent passing of the legendary UCLA basketball coach has brought to light the little known love story of Wooden and his wife, high school sweetheart Nellie Riley. On the 21st of every month, for the past 24 years since his wife's death, Wooden wrote a letter expressing his love to the one and only in his life. His loyalty and dedication to his wife is touching and inspiring, to say the least.

2.  Richard Burton: The actor's letters to Elizabeth Taylor, which are prominently featured in the soon to be released book Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century, reveal that his love for her never waned. An example: "If you leave me I shall have to kill myself. There is no life without you." She was the love of his life and one of his last letters to her, written just a few days before his death, questioned whether or not they still had a chance to make it work. Richard Burton's Love Letters to Elizabeth Taylor

3.  Ronald Reagan: Actor, former Governor of California, and the 40th President of the United States, Reagan was also an prolific writer of love letters to his second wife, Nancy. In a letter addressed to her on their 31st Anniversary, he wrote "I more than love you, I'm not whole without you. You are life itself to me. When you are gone I'm waiting for you to return so I can start living again." Romantic odes were penned throughout their marriage, sometimes brief notes, other times long letters, but always full of Reagan's whimsy and love for Nancy.

4.  Jerry Orbach: The Tony-Award winning actor had a hidden talent that only his wife, Elaine, was privy to: every morning before going to work, Orbach wrote her a short love poem. His numerous quirky rhymes ran the gamut from descriptions of his day to professions of love for Elaine: "I know there are many rhymes/as there are stars above you,/but I’ll just say it three more times,/I love you, I love you, I love you!" Elaine Orbach compiled some of her favorite pieces into the book Remember How I Love You: Love Letters from an Extraordinary Marriage.

5.  Governor Mark Sanford: The scandal behind the South Carolina Governor's affair with his Argentinean mistress notwithstanding, the e-mails to his proclaimed soul-mate are noteworthy: "please sleep soundly knowing that despite the best efforts of my head my heart cries out for you, your voice, your body, the tough of your lips, the touch of your finger tips and an even deeper connection to your soul." Unfortunately, the poetic romance led to his resignation as Chairman of the Republican Governors Association, impeachment proceedings, censure by the South Carolina House of Representatives, and divorce from his wife of nearly 20 years.  

6.  Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick: Another politician with a penchant for women who are not his wife, the controversial Mayor of Detroit made headlines for the 14,000 texts he sent to his then Chief of Staff, Christine Beatty. Amongst them, an outright confession of his love for her, "I'm madly in love with you." Detroit Mayor Arraigned Over Sex Lies

7.  Ashton Kutcher: @aplusk's Twitter feed can be considered an epic love letter of internet proportions to wife Demi Moore. From love tsunamis to racy pictures, Kutcher wears his love for Moore on his cyber-sleeve. Given that the tweets will be forever archived in the Library of Congress, consider this the digital incarnation of the love letter.  

Who are some of your favorite celebrity love letter writers?  Share in the comments below.

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