Thursday, February 9, 2012

letter writing


I'm not the only one interested in reviving the art of letter writing.

Fellow blogger Lotti's World has recently written a very insightful post about the importance of letter writing to her. In the media, I listened to a program on Radio National discussing the importance of letters with an historian discussing what an incredible source of information are contained in them and then I read this article, with the headline, "Writers bid to revive letter-writing" in The Guardian. Author Dave Eggers is participating in an initiative from the Rumpus, an American arts magazine, which is offering readers the opportunity to receive a letter a week from literary names including Eggers. The magazine wrote, "Think of it as the letters you used to get from your creative friends, before this whole internet/email thing," The Guardian article also mentions American author Mary Robinette Kowal who launched a "Month of Letters Challenge" for February. It calls on participants to send a letter almost each day of February.
A month of letters sounds a bit intense to me in my already pretty busy life so I'm thinking of writing at least one letter a month this year (and that doesn't include Christmas cards and notes!). A year of letters!

I'm going to plan it out - buy the stationary and stamps so there is no excuse for not sending the letters. And I think I'll set a rough guide about who I will write too. I do have two friends who I write letters to and a large family who live all over the country. I also want to keep in touch with Aunties and Uncles and older relatives who don't use email.

Anyone else keen to write letters? Or to receive them?

5 comments:

  1. What a lovely idea!
    I'd love to receive one.

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  2. My husband is a huge letter writer. He said just yesterday that he thinks it would be a nice family tradition if every Sunday the four of us sat around a table and each wrote a letter. I bet we won't manage it every Sunday, but I'd like to do it regularly. My daughters love stationery and stamps, so it should be fun.

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  3. Hey Curly Pops! I have your address so watch your letter box!
    And a family letter writing Sunday is such a lovely idea! Very Jane Austen. I think it is good to slow down our communications and make them something physical and real. I loved having pen pals as a child!

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  4. Ooh! I received two letters today! One big fat letter from an old friend and one full of snippets from a sister. Be careful what you wish for!

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  5. thanks for sharing about letter writing and thank you so much for linking my post into yours... nice. I love your challenge and think I'll join in. I've been on a bit of a downer for about a month and apart from that I've been so busy with study I haven't really done that much writing. Think I'll write a letter to my mum tomorrow.

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