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November 9, 2007

Letter Writing: A Lost Art?

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Time and time again when we google “letters,” it comes up in the context of the headline, “The Lost Art of Letter Writing.” We ask: to where has it been lost? And why is it disappearing? A recent post by “cyanide bunny” on her personal telegraph blog reveals her take on letter-writing:

“With letter writing there is some kind of ill defined link between sender and recipient which surpasses the email experience. Perhaps it’s something to do with the concerted effort that goes into writing a letter. An email can comprise a couple of hastily written sentences but letter writing always involves more work than that. Even reading a letter is different to reading an email. There is something about having a correspondence from family or friends that you can hold in your hand. Trying to decipher the sender’s spiderlike scrawl or admiring their perfect script is something you can never experience with email. Likewise, opening a thick letter and having photos or newspaper cuttings fall out can never be copied with the internet.”

We hear that sentiment again and again—email is easier, but different, than writing a hand-written letter. There is the tactility, the notion of intent, the obvious time that had to have been invested into the piece of writing.

Cyanide Bunny goes onto write,

“But upon my arrival in China, the complication of fighting the populous at the local post office just to buy an envelope and stamp and then having to queue up again to send the bloody thing dampened my enthusiasm for writing. Also, if you send a letter internally, you write the sender’s address in the top left corner of the envelope and your own address in the centre. And both addresses must be in Chinese. I found this out the hard way after painstakingly copying out both addresses and then being handed another envelope and being brusquely informed they were the wrong way around.”

Is it logistical complications that stops us from sending letters?

Earlier this year when Youngna was traveling in Bolivia, the realization that a letter would take upwards of twenty-one days to reach its destination was definitely a limiting factor. Would the words be relevant then? Would they even cross continents successfully? What does it mean to have time-delayed, unreliable correspondence when it is an option rather than a necessary form of communication?

What do you think? Is letter-writing really a lost art? Do you find yourself opting out of writing a letter and gravitating towards email instead? Why—aside from convenience? Is a letter too permanent? Too costly? Too time consuming? We’d love to hear your feedback.

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COMMENTS


I've been writing letters for years-- my mom had a strict rule that I couldn't play with a toy or cash a check until I'd written the thank you note. Luckily, she made it fun for me; we spent hours at stationary stores so I could find *just* the right paper and pen. From there, it just blossomed into writing more letters.

The time delay makes it better-- although it might ot be an instant update, I find that letters encourage more reflection because people know that what they write has to still "matter" a few days or weeks later.

Posted by The Modern Letter

I had pen pals starting in elementary school and have enjoyed corresponding with friends near and far ever since. In this day and age, it means so much to receive a handwritten note or postcard. It's a gesture, a commitment, from sender to recipient.

As much as I love sending just the right card expressing just the right sentiment, I do find myself irked that the price of postage keeps rising. Soon, the price of stamps will cost more than the stationery I send!

Posted by The Modern Letter