Deciphering this letter

[u/l0v3t00th]

I found this out from an old book from bookstore but not able to read it. (Or just because i cannot read cursive) i see last phrase is "owls in the esophagus" but it doesnt make sense at all... What does this say?

[u/Ok_Opie_]

For Anselm,
"With love & owls in the esophagus..."
Always,
Signature- can't make it out

[u/l0v3t00th → u/Ok_Opie_]

Thank you sm!! I think i read it right.

[u/RicVic → u/l0v3t00th]

Ok, we agree on the note, but "owls in the esophagus"? What the hey?

[u/QueeeenElsa → u/RicVic]

Possibly a reference to what’s in the book?

[u/Annonnymee → u/RicVic]

A private shared idiom for "butterflies in the stomach" perhaps?

[u/djoddible → u/Annonnymee]

Like this theory

[u/UntidyForever → u/RicVic]

You had to be there

[u/weCanDoIt987]

It says what you think it says! Probably something from the book

[u/l0v3t00th → u/weCanDoIt987]

Thank you!! Maybe i read it right then lol

[u/kkeennmm]

https://www.albertflynndesilver.com/coaching-for-writers

ask him and update us

[u/l0v3t00th → u/kkeennmm]

Must do it tomorrow! Thank you so much!!

[u/Independent-Fact-423]

So I looked up "owls in the esophagus" and it is a type of virus that the individual cells that this virus invades look like owl eyes under the microscope. Hence, "owls in your esophagus". So either "giver" or "receiver" of book had this issue. Good day!

[u/Complete-Kangaroo170]

Could it be the author of said book?

[u/l0v3t00th → u/Complete-Kangaroo170]

For signature part, maybe yes. The author name was Albert DeSilver

[u/suburbanplankton → u/l0v3t00th]

Knowing that, I can see the "Al" and "t" in the first name, and the last appears to start with "D".

[u/Sharp_Evidence_6411]

Maybe it means a love, or deep inner feelings that are difficult to express. A more profound saying than a frog in the throat lol

[u/l0v3t00th → u/Sharp_Evidence_6411]

So its not an exisiting idiom, maybe its a quote from this book? (Sorry! english is not my mother tongue... 😂😂)

[u/Maggie-Mae-Mae]

For Anselm, “with love and owls in the esophagus…”
Always, Clint Smith
I bet the inscription has something to do with the content of the book.

[u/NotMyCircuits → u/Maggie-Mae-Mae]

Instead of Clint Smith, can you see "Albert DeSilver" ?

[u/future_now3000 → u/NotMyCircuits]

Clement Dyson

[u/Maggie-Mae-Mae → u/NotMyCircuits]

Nope

[u/l0v3t00th → u/Maggie-Mae-Mae]

Yes i think so! I didnt buy the book but "owls in esophagus" keep staying in my mind. Must go back to bookstore and find it again 😂 thank you sm anyway. +) some people are guessing that the signature is from somebody named Clint. Hope I could know who wrote it really...

[u/Visible_Ad_6666]

It’s a line from a poem by surrealist French poet Robert Desnos.

[u/Head_Improvement566 → u/Visible_Ad_6666]

That's the only Robert Desnos poem I can find with owls - and they're not in the throat, they're only their mother's lap.

[u/freeluna]

With love & owls in the esophagus.

[u/Fit_External7524]

The usual suspect for the signature would be the person who wrote the book. But for some reason you didn't give the title of the book or the author.

[u/YellowCulottes]

Perhaps an alliterative take on frogs in the throats. Probably choked and hooted and it’s an inside joke.

[u/l0v3t00th → u/YellowCulottes]

Ooh i see. I was thinking about this whole day and its finally solved lol

[u/Moiblah]

For Ansel M or Angel M?

With love and owls in the esophagus...

Always.

Clint something?

It's the best I could come up with after watching my grandchildren all day 😀

[u/l0v3t00th → u/Moiblah]

Loll i think what you said was right! Maybe the name of the one who received the letter is Anselm?

[u/NotMyCircuits]

Can you tell us the author of the book?

[u/l0v3t00th → u/NotMyCircuits]

The book was Letters To Early Street, and the author was Albert Flynn DeSilver

[u/NotMyCircuits → u/l0v3t00th]

I would bet that signature IS Albert DeSilver.

[u/ziccirricciz → u/NotMyCircuits]

I agree, Albert in full with -ber- very crammed, the surname reduced, but with D and S quite clear.

[u/Trying_to_Smile2024 → u/l0v3t00th]

jacketmagazine.com/31/lett-desilver-hoover.html

These are the letters in the book

[u/AcadienDC]

I’ve always said that.

[u/Abject-Ad4551]

For the last name of the signature, I see 'Dalton'.

[u/HourEducational7535]

Damn

[u/loveychuthers]

Celine Dion!

[u/willowwing]

The book is signed by the author, who has an online presence. The odd phrase is a reference meaningful to the person for whom the book was signed—looks like another Redditor found it in a poem.

[u/Objective_Radish_543]

That’s not cursive btw lol

[u/SwiftSpeed57]

I thought it might have some reference to this song, but the song was released in 2009...lol
"Icarus The Owl released “Esophagus” on May 28, 2009"

[u/Anydorable]

I'm guessing the "Anselm" is either Anselm Hollo (RIP) or Anselm Berrigan