The Letter Exchange

The Letter Exchange (often called "Lex") is an international snail-mail pen-friend association and subscription magazine founded in 1982 by Steve Sikora in Albany, California. It pioneered a system of assigning subscribers a confidential "Lex Number" that allows anonymous initial contact: members submit listings describing themselves and their interests, which are printed in the magazine, and other subscribers respond through a forwarding service that does not reveal names or addresses until both parties choose to exchange them directly. The Letter Exchange publishes a quarterly magazine featuring pen-pal listings across roughly 30 categories (including Art & Photography, Daily Life, Literature, and Work & Careers), a "Ghost Letters" section where writers correspond as fictional or historical characters, and editorial content exploring the world of letters and letter writing. At its peak under Sikora, the service had approximately 12,000 subscribers and forwarded over 165,000 letters during its first 18 years. After a two-year hiatus following Sikora's retirement at the end of 2000, the magazine was revived by Gary and Lonna, longtime "Lexers" who have run it since. The Letter Exchange remains a niche but enduring champion of slow, deliberate written communication in the digital age.

The Letter Exchange was founded in 1982 by Steve Sikora in Albany, California. Sikora's innovation was to assign code numbers to subscribers and forward mail, providing anonymous initial contact while allowing writers to self-match based on their descriptions of themselves or their writing interests. Over the next 18 years, approximately 12,000 subscribers read the magazine and used the forwarding service. With the help of his mother and sister, Sikora forwarded over 165,000 letters. In 1999 the operation moved to Santa Rosa, California. At the end of 2000, Sikora retired from the pen pal scene, having published 51 issues and connected countless correspondents, many of whom continued writing to each other. After a two-year hiatus and much discussion, the decision was made to revive The Letter Exchange because Sikora's idea was considered too valuable to let pass into history. The revival was led by "Lexers" Gary and Lonna, who had been involved with Lex since 1986 and 1999, respectively. Although their day jobs had little to do with letters or publishing, both have academic backgrounds related to writing (Literature and History). As of the 2020s, The Letter Exchange continues to publish quarterly issues (e.g., Summer 2026, #70; Autumn 2026, #71) and maintains its anonymous forwarding service, Ghost Letters feature, and editorial content exploring letter writing.

• 2026

  Summer issue #70 mailed; Autumn issue #71 at printer.

• 2002

  The Letter Exchange revived by Gary and Lonna after a two-year hiatus.

• 2000

  Steve Sikora retires after publishing 51 issues; magazine enters hiatus.

• 1999

  Operation moves to Santa Rosa, California.

• 1982

  The Letter Exchange founded by Steve Sikora in Albany, California.

A niche, subscription-based community for slow, deliberate letter writing and anonymous pen-friend matching, positioned as a refreshing alternative to instant digital communication.

• The Letter Exchange magazine

  Quarterly subscription magazine with pen-pal listings, Ghost Letters, and editorial content.

• Lex Number forwarding service

  Anonymous mail forwarding that connects letter writers without revealing names or addresses.

1. 1Find Snail Mail Pen Pals with The Letter Exchangeletter-exchange.com
2. 2The Letter Exchange - Aboutletter-exchange.com
3. 3The Letter Exchangewikidata.org