I’ve emailed with John Thorne. He’s a great guy. For those who don’t know, he’s a Maine food writer (he may have moved, though) who with his wife, Matt, writes wonderful, homey books and as Jamestown said, newsletters. Another writer I learned through the great Laurie Colwin. And that was back in the early 90s!
I believe that Carla Emery’s book, ‘The Encyclopedia of Country Living’ also began as a snail-mail newsletter. Compiled, it’s still available as a (very BIG) book:
http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Country-Living-Anniversary-Edition/dp/1570618402
-JT