2013: The Year in Letters and Notes

Some say that letter writing is dead, but 2013 proved it's very much alive and that personal notes can amuse, inspire, and, yes, enrage millions of readers. In fact, the power of handwritten notes was spotlighted in a controversy over a homophobic message written on a restaurant receipt denying a waitress tip because she was gay. When the incident was revealed as a hoax, waitress Dayna Morales was fired and forced to return donations that had come pouring in from unsuspecting supporters.

Some of Yahoo Shine's most popular stories of the year were about missives and notes that leaked to the Internet, including what might be the most brilliantly sarcastic breakup letter in the history of jilted lovers. The post, Best Break-Up Letter Ever: Ask 'Kelsi' Where Your Stuff Is, touched a nerve with our audience: It received more than 40,000 likes on Facebook and 14,000 comments. Here are more of our favorites. — Sarah B. Weir, Shine Senior Writer