The Modern Letter Project talks to Josh Knelman, co-editor of Four Letter Word: Invented Correspondence from the Edge of Modern Romance, about love letters, Leonard Cohen, and the future of letter-writing.

MLP: Hi Josh. Please introduce yourself!
Josh: Hi there. I’m a Toronto-based writer and editor and Four Letter Word is my first edited collection, so I’m a little nervous of course.

I’m spending the next year writing a non-fiction investigative book about international art theft—people who steal paintings, and people who search for paintings that have been stolen. In a way, it’s also a book about love lost and love found. I’ve met a lot of people who have fallen in love with a particular work of art. I guess in one sense, the book is a long and complicated love letter, to all the artwork that has been stolen from our collective culture. It’s called Hot Art.

MLP: Tell us how you and your co-editor Rosalind Porter came up with the idea for this collection, Four Letter Word.
Josh: I have trouble sleeping sometimes. When I do, I often reach for a book I’ve enjoyed--a familiar voice. Three years ago at three in the morning I reread a few pages from Leonard Cohen’s Stranger Music, a collection of his poetry and writing. I came across a letter he’d written that was essentially a love letter; the next morning it was still floating in my mind. At the time, I was fiction editor at The Walrus magazine (in Canada) and I wanted to do something special for the annual Summer Fiction Issue. I thought it would be great find some of my favorite writers and ask them to submit old love letters.

I realized that most of the writers I would want to ask were fiction writers. Initially, I’d thought I would be looking for real love letters--but why? What if I asked the best fiction writers in Canada to pen fictional love letters? I asked Margaret Atwood first. I was lucky; she said yes. Her support set the stage to commission the original series of eight letters including Douglas Coupland, David Bezmozgis, and a love poem from Leonard Cohen. The series took more then six months to coordinate. It was an experiment in fiction, and there were no rules.

Each letter that was delivered was a surprise in terms of story and character. They were unexpected, and intimate, just like real love letters. I sent a copy of the series to my friend Rosalind Porter, who worked at Random House, UK, who wrote an incredible proposal that was accepted by Poppy Hampson, an editor at Chatto and Windus (thank you Poppy). Suddenly we were experimenting on a much grander scale, asking writers from across the world to pen fictional love letters.

MLP: This collection features work from a wide range of authors and artists—Jonathan Lethem to Margaret Atwood to Leonard Cohen. How did you choose whom to include?
Josh: Ros and I approached writers we loved. It was a long process, full of surprises and, yes, rejection. Essentially, we spent over a year and half writing love letters to our favorite writers asking them to pen fictional love letters for the collection. It was a dream job.

MLP: In the title you coin use the phrase, “four letter word.” Why not explicitly use—but imply--the word “love?”
Josh: The unifying theme of the collection is love and letters, although love comes in so many forms, and can feed off so many other emotions: fear, lust, hate, loss, hope… these are all four letter words that are drawn from in these love letters. And love isn’t always what you expect. Certainly, it’s so much more complicated then a Hallmark card and yes, sometimes, love is expressed in less eloquent language and vocabulary. And sometimes it all just comes out wrong in a letter. F*CK.

MLP: What were the criteria for each writers' contributions?
Josh: We asked each writer to pen a fictional letter love letter, between 1000-2500 words. Those were the only rules of the game. We wanted writers to use their expansive imaginations unhindered. There was always a sense of mystery to each new love letter.

MLP: What do you think comprises a modern day letter?
Josh: There are so many forms. I’ve received long text messages that I would count as letters. In fact, in Japan, there are now entire novels that are beamed out in chapters of text. I also think a well crafted email counts as a letter. Of course, nothing is as intimate as a hand written letter, delivered by mail or, even better, by hand. For me, a letter is all about the amount of time and thought that the letter-writer invests.

MLP: Do you think it’s important to preserve the art/craft/practice of letter writing?
Josh: Yes, of course. And I think as long as anyone exists who feels the desire to communicate in a profound way with another human being, the art of letter writing will never vanish. I have to admit it’s been a long time since I’ve received a letter in the mail. Mostly, I get bills—the opposite of love letters.

MLP: The jacket of your book refers to the love letter as a “forgotten custom.” Why do you think it is being forgotten?
Josh: I think sometimes it’s easier to send a quick text message or a fast email. Writing a letter is often about remembering. I don’t exactly think that it’s a forgotten custom, but I do believe we could all spend a little more time remembering, and writing to someone we love.

MLP: We found the piece by Joseph Boyden—a series of missing persons reports filed by a husband about his wife in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina—to be especially moving. Were there pieces you found especially affective?
Josh: I was also especially moved by Joseph’s love letter. It’s a brave experiment that worked, and it builds to heartbreak. What I found surprising about the collection, when Ros and I had received all of the letters, was that without exception, every single letter was so different. One of our fears was that we would receive a lot of letters that were similar, but often these love letters are effective because they have created their own rules.

Jeanette Winterson’s love letter centers around the idea of photographs, and is effective because the writer tells us all about the little intimate details and feelings that would be impossible to discern from looking at a photograph. David Bezmozgis, on the other hand, allows us to read a very intimate letter from a Russian revolutionary who is about to be executed. Only at the end of the letter do we realize it was never delivered. Bezmozgis creates a found, historical document. What is still amazing to me is that each letter succeeds at being effective on its own terms.

MLP: Where do you see the state of the handwritten letter in 10 years? 20? 50?
Josh: As long as people struggle to find a way of expressing the strangest, funniest, and deepest parts of themselves to others, letters, I think, will essentially remain the same. Or, maybe we’ll have a total evolutionary leap and be able to communicate telepathically. If this happens, letters might be in trouble. I don’t like predicting the
future. I’m so bad at it.

MLP: Are you a letter-writer?
Josh: Apologies, but I don’t write and tell. After all, love letters are private, and often, secret.

MLP: Anything else?
Josh: I hope anyone who reads this Q&A sends one love letter to someone who
would be happier for receiving one.

Four Letter Word: Invented Romance from the Edge of Modern Romance just hit bookstores and is also available for purchase HERE. Josh, the book, and some of its authors will also be reading selections from the book at a launch party at Barnes & Noble, Tribeca (97 Warren Street @ Greenwich), on February 11th at 7 p.m.

The Modern Letter Project talks to Kathy & Donovan of 16 Sparrows and the Letter Writers Alliance--one of our favorite projects online that combines pen pal'ing with the best of well-design stationery. Kathy talks about her problem with cursing and love for the historical; Donovan shares her love for zombies and thoughts on why we ought to keep writing letters.

MLP: Hello! Please introduce yourselves.

We are Kathy Zadrozny and Donovan Beeson. Kathy created 16 Sparrows in 2003 because she was frustrated with the lack of stationery and cards with her sarcastic sense of wit. Donovan joined up in 2006 when Kathy decided to go to graduate school. Donovan now oversees everyday production and shipping and we both collaborate on new designs and goods. We are a well-oiled machine of well-designed cynicism.

MLP: Tell us a bit about the Letter Writers Alliance – how did you come up with the idea? What were the inspirations?

Kathy: I was sorting some archives at the Newberry Library and I came upon this awesome 1930s header for a cultural alliance. I absolutely loved the look of the vintage header and for years now Donovan and I have wanted to do something pro-active about letter writing. I designed the stationery and Donovan and I started hammering out how the alliance would actually work. A few weeks later, the LWA was born.

MLP: What does it mean to become a member of the LWA? Is there a fee? How many people are involved in the alliance?

Donovan: Right now we have 128 members. As a member, you accept our mission to “carry on the glorious cultural tradition of letter writing. You will take advantage of every opportunity to send tangible correspondence. Neither long lines, nor late deliveries, nor increasing postal rates will keep us from our mission.” Membership comes with a badge and member card and access to our members-only website where you can download free writing stuffs & purchase exclusive LWA items like personalized stationery. We also have a pen pal swap. We offer a free membership when you purchase the Letter Writers Alliance stationery, or you can become a member for $3.00

MLP: And there is Letter Writers Alliance Stationery? We’re in love. Tell us more!

Kathy: The stationery was the first thing to be designed and, as I said earlier, it was based from this 1930s header for a cultural alliance. From there, Donovan and I just looked to ephemera from our own collections and designed things we wanted. Like, “Oh, I want to write a letter to my friend on a telegram, let me design that.”

MLP: How do you think letter writing has changed now that other methods of correspondence (email, cell phones) are so ubiquitously used?

Donovan: I’ve always considered letters to be treasured objects and, for me, their value has only increased with the overload of cheaper, faster communication. Every time you go to write an email or make a phone call, ask this question, “Is what I have to say to this person worth my time, effort and first class postage?” If the answer is yes, then put down that receiver and back away from the monitor! Just because something is quick and “free”, doesn’t mean it’s the best or the most effective. If you are going to make contact, why not have it be meaningful?

Kathy: It has definitely added more importance to a hand-written letter. Letters were part of the day-to-day until about 30 years ago. Heck, the mail came twice a day! Now, with it so easy to press send, the letter has become something almost romantic.

MLP: Why do you think it’s important to help preserve letter writing?

Donovan: Letters are our proof of history; artifacts of one’s life and community. Hands down, letters are the best form of correspondence we have. It is a tangible connection between the sender and receiver. You can’t hold an email and marvel about how you are touching the same object that someone else held thousands of miles away.

MLP: What do you think makes a “good” letter?
Kathy: The ones I find myself attached to are letters where we make a connection. You are reading it and you are lost – it is as if they are there talking to you. At the opposite end, I also love coded letters, but that’s because I’m a pulp detective junkie.

Donovan: I even like junk mail. I am a mail addict. I will say that the best kinds of letters are the ones that give you something to respond to, a conversation to keep going.

MLP: You two also run 16 Sparrows, a fantastic online retailer with a “Fucking Card Collection” and a “Get Up Off Your Ass” to-do list among many other great paper goods. How did 16 Sparrows get started?

Kathy: My background is in graphic design and I was working in advertising when I created 16 Sparrows. It was a combination of needing an outlet for my creativity and running out of friends to make stuff for. I’ve always been a lady that cursed a lot. It was a constant struggle with my parents trying to get me to stop being so sarcastic and not talking like a sailor. My language has toned down quite a bit over the years, but it was only to give more fuel to my odd sense of humor.

Donovan: I’ve had to edit all the cursing out of her answers. Just kidding!

MLP: 16 Sparrows offers lots of great downloads, like a pdf greeting card, mailing labels, and notecards. How did you come up with the idea for downloadable paper goods?

Donovan: Don’t forget our Zombie Guide! People love free stuff and so do we. We know that there are some people who love stationery and letters, but just don’t have the money for handmade goods, and we don’t want to cut them out of the picture. Everyone should have access to good design.

MLP: Do you have any new collections—either for the holidays or for the New Year? Tell us what’s new! And where can we get your goods?

Donovan: Oh gosh, we have so much stuff in the works. Letter writing kits, secret coding devices, calendars… We’re in the process of revamping our Effin’ Card line. Two of the new designs are already on sale here. We also have 2 other holiday designs here.

We’re entirely online, but we do have a retailers' page where you can check to see if we sell at any shops in your area. I also handmade a lot of stationery goods over at my etsy shop.

MLP: Many of your collections are inspired by historical iconography like the 1920s British telegram (Telegram Stationery) and typography/posters of the late 1800s (Paddingken Stationery). Why have you chosen to draw from these sources in your designs?

Kathy: I have quite a love for all that is vintage as well as old style typography. Donovan and I act like crazy squealing ladies when we are around old stuff like Flemish maps or a dulled brass ink well. We’re nerds who surround ourselves with these types of items and we want to create things that perpetuate that aesthetic.

MLP: Do you do personalized stationery or design work?

Kathy: We have a custom design service that is 100% customizable. Whatever the client wants done, we try to do it for them. We are also able to personalize our stationery and cards.

Donovan: My training is as an illustrator; so we also offer original illustrations for our customers.

MLP: Who are your favorite designers of paper goods and notecards right now?

PodPost (Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Wheeler)
Red Horseshoe
Pearl and Marmalade
Papered Together
Rar Rar Press
Golden Hen Press (Her site still isn’t up yet despite constant badgering from me. She’s my downstairs neighbor and makes lovely lovely paper and just gorgeous cards.)

MLP: And last, but not least: are you two letter writers?

Kathy: I have about five people that I constantly write to. Three of those are people I’ve never met in real life and it is so interesting to be connected with them and watch their lives unfold and develop right on paper before you.

Donovan: I consistently write or mail packages to about twenty people and there are always some floaters in and out. I’m sending about 40 cards out at Christmas and about 10 packages.

MLP: Hi Tess! Please introduce yourself.
Egg Press: I’m an impatient woman married to a patient man, have two little boys ages one and almost four, and for the most part have a sweet little life. If I had a trust fund I’d only knit, travel and make things. No offense to Egg Press.

MLP: How did you get your start in printing? What is your training?
Egg Press: In the early 90s I got a BFA in textile design, but made books for my thesis project. Through visits to the University of Washington Special Collections Library I learned of letterpress, took a letterpress class the moment I finished school, and then apprenticed for a small shop in Seattle. Then I moved back to Portland, Oregon to work at Nike, where I learned a little about graphic design.

MLP: What inspired you to start Egg Press, and how did Egg Press get its name?
Egg Press: While not working in a corporate environment, I spent all my time in my studio, which had only two presses at the time. I very naively left Nike so I could pursue my letterpress interests. The Egg Press name is a long story...

MLP: Are you a native Portland-er? And what about Portland inspires you?
Egg Press: I’m a native Northwesterner, having spent all but 7 years in the Portland area. Although I really like the idea of living someplace else, at this point I can’t imagine leaving, as we are so rooted here. My favorite spot is my neighborhood, and the community feeling it brings us. I love that we don’t have to go far for fun. If I had the chance to get out more, I’d spend more time at Close Knit yarn store, Bolt fabric store, Grasshopper children’s store, Extracto coffee shop, and Yakuza, a beautiful Japanese restaurant. These places are all in my neighborhood! Then out of my neighborhood: Canoe, a BEAUTIFUL gift store, and right across the street, Knit Purl, who has a great selection of my favorite yarn, Koigu.

MLP: Tell us about your studio. What types of presses do you have?
Egg Press: At Egg Press we mostly use platen presses but also have one windmill press and a couple of flatbed presses. The platen presses are great for speed and the flatbed presses are perfect for printing larger areas. For us, the type of press we use is most about the image being printed.

MLP:: And you also create screen printed t-shirts for babies?
Egg Press: We print our tees in house on a small 4-color t-shirt press. We started printing the baby tees because the images on our cards lent themselves to other applications, and tees were the most accessible. Having the ability to print in-house has helped us come up with other ideas, such as our new stitch kits, which I think are pretty great.

MLP: What cards and designs do you have coming up for the holidays? Where can we find those?
Egg Press: I’m already thinking about designing Holiday 2008! My favorites for 2007 are some of our boxed die-cut cards that were inspired by vintage food packaging, a retailers list can be found on our website. If there’s something that can’t be found in stores, you can always pick up the phone and call us. [See Egg Press's 2007 Holiday cards here.]

MLP: Egg Press also does custom printing; what is that collaborative process like?
Egg Press: We have a custom wedding album in several stores throughout the U.S, and the designs in that book can be used as they are or combined or altered. We sometimes collaborate directly with clients to create invitations or announcements specific to their needs. The process is pretty simple as we are usually able to communicate so much through email and phone conversations. Kara Yanagawa, who designs with me, also manages the custom printing workflow and is brilliant in customer service.

MLP: Do you have any favorite cards and designs from your own collection?
Egg Press: My favorites right now are our die-cut Valentines that can be punched out and assembled to make little sculptures. I love that they have a life beyond card format.

MLP: Who are some of your favorite card/stationery designers?
Egg Press: I love the women at You Send Me, they’re close friends.

MLP: And lastly: are you a letter-writer?
Egg Press: I'm much more of a package-sender than letter-writer though since having children I usually feel like I’m just hucking something in a box and mailing it out. I knit a lot and even when I send hand-knit gifts the packaging details can get neglected. But it’s the thought that counts, right?

MLP: Hello! Please introduce yourselves.
Breck: My name is Breck Hostetter and I run Sesame Letterpress along with the help of my husband, Matt. We live and work in Brooklyn.

MLP: How did you two get your start in printing? What is your training?
Breck: I went to the Museum School/Tufts in Boston and studied artists’ books and photography. I moved to New York after college and started printing as a way to produce editions of my book projects and fell in love with the medium. I find the slow process of feeding each card into the press to be very conducive to daydreaming and love knowing that we make a living using a press that has been working since the 1880’s (and has provided a living for a couple printers before us). Matt started printing after spending many late evenings napping on a couch in my studio, waiting for me to finish my work. I introduced him to the hand press and a stack of coasters to keep him busy and he got hooked.

MLP: What inspired you to start Sesame Letterpress?
Breck: I started printing for clients as a way to pay for my studio and supplies for my own edition projects. There was more and more demand for letterpress printing and we officially formed Sesame Letterpress (named after our beloved, late parakeet) about 4 years ago.

MLP: Many of your designs feature animals, from deer to pheasants to cranes to frogs. What about animals inspire you?
Breck: Everything about animals inspires me! I like knowing that there is an alternate world of furry (or feathery) creatures that have nothing to do with computers, rush orders, traffic, cell phones etc… Our work is heavily rooted in the 19th Century and is inspired by Victorians’ fascination with collecting animal figurines, taxidermy, bugs, butterflies, and other specimens of nature. We build our designs a bit like curio cabinets or display cases with lots of imagery framed with decorative borders.

MLP: What types of presses do you use?
Breck: I am wedded to my original press, a Golding Jobber #7, a Victorian era press from the 1880s that I use for all my custom work. Matt uses a C&P Pilot for his coaster production. We also have a Vandercook No. 4 that we use for artists’ editions, a Heidelberg Windmill that we use for our wholesale line, a Kelsey Star that we don’t ever use but it is so pretty, and a smaller Golding Jobber No. 6 that we keep in my dad’s basement in New England so we can print while we’re on vacation.

MLP: Are you native New Yorkers? What are some of your favorite spots around town?
Breck: Both Matt and I grew up in Wisconsin and each lived in a number of other cities before finding our way to New York in the mid and late 1990s. I lived in the East Village when I first moved here and DUMBO was only a couple subway stops away. At that time, studio space here was pretty affordable. We lived in Williamsburg for a few years and then to the super baby-friendly Carroll Gardens where we live now with our daughter, Greta. Through all the moves, we’ve kept our studio in DUMBO. It’s an easy neighborhood for clients to travel to and we’ve amassed a lot of awkward machinery we don’t want to have to move!

Hmm, our favorite spots around town… First I’d have to say Jacques Torres Chocolatier in DUMBO as their hot chocolate and iced chocolate have helped me get through some long days of printing. Other favorites include John Derian & Co. and New York Central’s paper department, Sleep, Spoonbill & Sugartown Booksellers and Catbird (all in Williamsburg), Swallow and Bird (both in Carroll Gardens) and of course Cursive at ABC in Manhattan.

MLP: You offer note card making classes at your studio. Can you tell us what that entails? And when are these offered? Do you have to have any previous experience?
Breck: Our note card printing classes are really fun. We offer the classes through Make Workshop, a crafting school, on the Lower East Side. It’s a 2-part workshop where participants design and print a set of 50 custom note cards and learn to line envelopes. The first class we demonstrate how the presses work and we talk about the history of letterpress printing and how the traditional methods differ from current letterpress printing practices. Students can pick from our library of images and fonts to design their cards, or they can create a totally new design on their own and provide us with the digital file. Then we order the plates and do the printing and envelope lining during the second class. No experience is necessary.

MLP: Do you have any special cards and designs coming up for the holidays? Where can we find those?
Breck: We have a line of holiday cards we produce for our Cursive line (available at Cursive at ABC Home in Manhattan) and we sold 3 holiday card designs to Target that are in the stores now. We’re also working on a couple Christmas ornaments and a letterpressed 2008 calendar. Both will be available in a couple weeks at a sale we are doing on December 16th at Devine Studios on East 4th Street, NYC. It is an annual sale featuring really great designers and we tend to buy all our holiday gifts there each year.

MLP: What do you forecast for trends in letterpress and note cards?
Breck: I am not sure what to predict for this… The number of boutique print shops is growing rapidly and yet there are a finite number of presses in the world (no one manufactures letterpresses anymore). I hope all the new printers will continue to care for their machines well and help this business stay strong. I am eager to see what sort of new creativity people can bring to this traditional craft.

MLP: Any favorite cards and designs from your own collection?
Breck: My favorite design ever is the baby announcement we printed to welcome Greta. We also made her a calling card for networking at the playground. I also still love the collection of cards we do on bright paper for Cursive. The Foxy, Peony and Forever and Ever Birds designs are my favorite pieces.

MLP: What’s the most bizarre order you’ve ever received?
Breck: One of our first printing projects was to print an edition of sewing kit cases and we also produced a set of volvelles, or paper information wheels which was cool. We love discovering new things to do with our presses and try to work letterpress into as many products as we can.

MLP: Walk us through an “average” day at the studio.
Breck: Sesame Letterpress has two typical days as some days I am home with Greta and some days I am at the studio. On the non-baby days, I go to the studio around 10, check emails, discuss the projects for the day with our excellent assistant/master printer Amanda, cut paper, mix ink, print, pack, ship, order paper, return calls, realize at 4 that I haven’t eaten lunch, wonder if I can get a hot chocolate and call it lunch, print some more and rush home at 5:30.

On the days I am home with the baby, I go to the playground at 10, call Amanda at the studio to check in and see if she has any questions, play with Greta until she takes a nap, then I return calls and emails, play with the baby when she wakes up and do my design work in the evenings when she is in bed.

Matt has a day job so he checks in with his coaster-printing staff during the day and then goes to the studio an evening a week and on the weekends to pack and ship orders and set up work for the week ahead. All in all, we do a lot of juggling which can be taxing, but we are grateful that we are able to work at something we really love and we continue to be excited that people like our work.

MLP: Who are some of your favorite card/stationery designers?
We love
Moontree Letterpress
Binth
Hello Lucky
and Paper + Cup.

MLP: And last, but not least: are you a letter-writer? Note passer? Package sender?
I used to be an avid letter writer but now I limit my written correspondence to a few big mailings a year. We print an annual holiday card and calendar that we send to family, friends and clients and we usually do a Valentine mailing and we started letterpressing invitations/prints for Greta’s birthday so we’ll be sending those to family and friends as well.

[The Modern Letter Project talks to Alisha of Palindrome Press about her 2008 calendar, her favorite spots in Portland, Oregon, and how she found her footing in letterpress.]

MLP: Hi Alisha. Please introduce yourself!
Alisha: Hello, I’m a letterpress printer and designer in Portland, Oregon. I’ve recently launched my own studio, Palindrome Press. I’m currently balancing this with my part-time job at Oblation Papers & Press as an instructor and printer. I’m in a perfect place right now doing what I really love.

MLP: Do you have a background in printing? Why letterpress?
Alisha: I started taking letterpress classes at the University of Oregon, while pursuing a major in multimedia. I first studied under Megan O’Connell of Dead Skin Press and Sandy Tilcock. I immediately fell in love with the process and craft.

After that, I delved into anything that had to do with letterpress or typography. During this time I attended typecon, took a few workshops: one with Barbara Tetenbaum, and another at the San Francisco Center for the Book. I definitely bothered lots of printers asking to see their shops and learn anything, including Stumptown Printers, the IPRC…and buying tons of books!

MLP: Are you a native Portlander? What are some of your favorite spots around town?
Alisha: I grew up all over the place: Central America, Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and Wyoming. I’ve been in Portland for the past 3 years and I can’t say enough about it. There are way too many good places to eat and shop here. A good resource is the Eat Shop Guide.

Current faves: Lovely Hula Hands, Stumptown Coffee (of course!), Canoe, and The English Dept.

MLP: And what inspired you to start Palindrome press?
Alisha: I started palindrome because I missed doing letterpress & design work for myself. I’ve worked for a few printers and shops, and now I want to do something on my own. My work has always been on the side. Recently I’ve decided to just push it a little bit further and see what happens.

MLP: How would you describe the style of your work?
Alisha: A lot of my work tends to be simple and line-based. I usually start with sketches, then scan it in, and manipulate it on the computer to get what I want. Right now, I’m working on some hand-lettering for some upcoming cards and I’m wanting to incorporate some patterns into future projects. I’m still trying to find my style. I constantly see work around me that I love and I wish I could start all over again!

MLP: What type of presses do you use? Describe your workspace to us.
Alisha: I have a Vandercook and a Chandler & Price press. I use the Vandercook for my artwork, and for projects that are big or require a bit more attention. The Chandler & Price I use to print most of my jobs or goods for palindrome. My studio is housed in a historic brick building that was once home to Ford Motors. The building has recently been renovated and houses many artists, designers, and small business owners.

MLP: What are some of your design inspirations?
Alisha: I’m inspired by simple things—it could be something I see on a walk with my dog, a store sign that catches my eye, a new and interesting word ... Lately, I’ve been loving Marian Bantjes, Ray Fenwick, and Florence Broadhurst.

MLP: Who are some of your favorite card & stationery designers?
Alisha:
pancake & franks
binth
blissen
morris essex
port2port
moontree press

MLP: When someone approaches the press and wants custom cards made, what is the design and printing process like?
Alisha: Most everyone who has come to me has been distinct in two ways: they want a truly custom design (not a template) – and they have an idea of the motifs, color and feel they want. Once I know what the customer is looking for, I mock up proofs and we start the design process. I ensure the artwork, text and all the materials chosen will work for the project, and try to make everything as cohesive as possible.

After that, it’s to the presses for a labor-intensive craft: cutting paper, mixing ink, and hand-feeding each piece of paper.

MLP: How do you select your inks and paper? Any favorites?
Alisha: I’m often looking at fashion for color inspiration and then mix my ink by hand. My favorite paper right now is anything from Twinrocker Mill, a very expensive addiction!

MLP: And we noticed you use soy inks in your printing. Are your cards eco-friendly?
Alisha: I try to be as eco-friendly as possible. I use all soy inks, the paper is pure cotton, and I clean my printing presses with vegetable oil and simple green.

MLP: Do you have any special cards and designs coming up for the holidays?
Alisha: I have a calendar that I printed on my Vandercook and 2 different holiday card sets on the way–-all are available in the shop section of my site.

MLP: Any favorite cards and designs from your own collection?
Alisha: The craft series card set

MLP: And last, but not least: are you a letter-writer?
When I was younger I would be writing constantly: in my journal, to my friends, when passing notes in class, to boyfriends, or family. Now I’m sad to say I write letters mostly for special occasions to my family and close friends: holidays and maybe birthdays. I’ve saved a few letters from the past: old boyfriends, my cousin who always did these amazing drawings on the envelopes, and a few others.

The Modern Letter Project talks to Rebecca of Moontree Letterpress about her brand new 2008 calendar, her Japanese influences, and a day in the life at her studio.

MLP: Hi Rebecca. Please introduce yourself!
Rebecca: Hi! My name is Rebecca Kutys. I live and work in Brooklyn, New York (Park Slope and Dumbo, respectively).

MLP: Do you have a background in printing? Why letterpress?
Rebecca: I first learned letterpress printing at the Center For Book Arts in New York City. After taking a number of classes there, I became a monthly press renter. Shortly after, I left my day job to start printing full-time. I bought my own press a year later and moved into a studio in Brooklyn where I still am today. DUMBO is a great neighborhood to have a business. You get all the benefits of staying in Brooklyn, but it’s still just one stop from Manhattan so clients seem fine with popping over for studio visits.

MLP: How would you describe the style of your work?
Rebecca: It’s hard to be objective in describing my own style. I like nature themes, and tend to stick to very neutral and earthy ink colors. I usually try to avoid using more inks and artwork than necessary. I think you lose some of the essence of the craft when there’s too much going on visually.

MLP: You include a lot of nature these in your work—why are these forms interesting to you? What are some of your favorite designs or patterns to create?
Rebecca: I just love plants, trees and gardens, and that kind of imagery inspires me. Maybe it’s partly because I live in New York City that those things are more precious to me, but I try to surround myself with lots of green in my home and at work.

MLP: On your blog you mention you’ve been largely inspired by Japanese influences. Why is this, and what are some of your other creative inspirations?
Rebecca: I lived in Japan for a few years after college, and really fell in love with the culture. I lived in a small farming town--with no car. Usually my only source of evening entertainment was taking classes at the town community center. I studied language, ikebana, calligraphy and cooking. I also got really into origami. I had no internet back then -- which blows my mind to think about now -- but it was a really amazing experience to rely so heavily on arts and crafts to keep me sane and busy. I think it had a very big impact on me creatively.

MLP: What type of presses do you use? Tell us about your workspace.
Rebecca: Back at the Center for Book Arts I was printing on Vandercook presses (a No. 4, a Uni III and a Uni IV). After a year there I took the plunge and bought a Heidelberg Windmill Press from a retiring printer in Nashville, TN. It took me about a month of printing every day before I really got the hang of it. I’ve now owned my press for 2 1/2 years and do all my printing on it. It’s such a fantastic machine, I really lucked out with this one.

As for the space itself, I share a large studio with another Brooklyn printer, Breck from Sesame Letterpress. Having a space together allows us to share resources (for example the guillotine cutter, which is a big expense but totally essential in this line of work). Its also incredibly helpful to have another experienced printer on hand when you’ve been setting up a job for 45 minutes and can’t figure out how to get the color just right, or the text perfectly registered. No matter how much experience you have, you always need a fresh set of eyes from time to time. I also love how much fun we have at work. Aside from working hard…we listen to a lot of NPR, talk about Project Runway and obsess about our pets on a daily basis. I also really admire Breck’s talent as a designer and a printer, which keeps me inspired at work. It’s a win-win. ☺

MLP: Describe an “average” day at the studio.
Rebecca: On a typical day I arrive at my studio at around 10am. I drink coffee while answering emails, send out some estimates, read a little news, and return voicemails from the day before.

After that I write my list of things to do that day, and try to organize my desk for what I have going on. Honestly, this is the most important part of my day. As a one-person operation, staying organized is beyond critical. I have my “active” projects organized in file folders on my desk, and a clipboard of ‘pending projects/materials’ needed hanging on the wall. Samples, inks and papers are on the other side of the room near my press, and I try to keep that area as tidy as I can. As soon as my space gets messy, I just slow down.

In the afternoon I either print or do layouts, and usually go home at around 6:30pm. These days I make it a habit to leave work at work, so unless it’s a really busy time of year, I try to avoid bringing computer work home with me. Otherwise work never really stops – I learned this the hard way my first year of business.

MLP: How do you select your inks and paper? Any favorites?
Rebecca: I really like Cranes cover stock because it is 100% cotton, and comes in a 134lb and a nice 179lb weight. I also like Mohawk Superfine and Strathmore stocks. Finding good recycled stock is still a little hard, but there are new papers coming out these days to meet the increasingly high demands.

MLP: Do you have a favorite piece in your portfolio?
Rebecca: In October I printed the largest job I’ve had to date, 10,000 CD covers. In addition to the print work, I was responsible for some assembly, which required me to hire two assistants for the month. It was such a great experience for me because hiring employees was really hard me to contemplate before then. Clare and Malia worked so hard and were so fun to have in the studio.

MLP: Have you done collaborations with other artists?
Rebecca: Yes, I’ve done many collaborations over the past few years. I did some very cool projects with Yolande Batteau of Callidus Guild, an artist-of-the-month project for Etsy and some gorgeous invitations and identity jobs for Loeffler Randall. I’ve also done many projects with graphic designers/art directors here in New York. I love collaborating, it’s always nice to get a new perspective on the process.

MLP: Are you native New Yorker? What are some of your favorite spots around town?
Rebecca: I grew up outside of Philadelphia and moved to New York City in 1999. This is tough to narrow down, but I guess my favorite places in New York City are:

Stores: ABC Home & Carpet, Takashimaya, Bird, Swallow (too many to name)
Landmarks: St. Bart’s in Midtown, Gramercy Park, Grand Central Station, Natural History Museum
Movie theater: The Ziegfeld
Venues: The Town Hall, Joe’s Pub
Food: Freeman’s, Old Town Bar, Yaffa Café, The Ear Inn, Jacques Torres, Bar Tabac

MLP: Can you tell us about your 2008 calendar?
Rebecca: Yes! The design is based on an Obi, which is the wide belt worn with a kimono. Each page has the same layout, but a different obi graphic. I’m excited about doing a calendar because its something people will actually hang up in their homes, instead of a pack of cards sitting in a desk drawer.

MLP: Do you have any special cards and designs coming up for the holidays?
Rebecca: Yes, I’ll be updating my Etsy shop/online store on November 15th with calendars and holiday cards!

MLP: What do you forecast for trends in letterpress and note cards?
Rebecca: The biggest trend I’m noticing is the demand for recycled papers. West coast clients are usually more likely to request recycled materials, but my guess is that eventually it will be standard. The paper mills seem to be offering more recycled options these days, but hopefully that trend will continue to grow.

MLP: Who are some of your favorite card/stationery designers?
Rebecca:
Sesame Letterpress
Paper+Cup Design
Palidrome Press
Little Tree Press
Port2Port
Modern Press
Cindy Jaswal

MLP: Last, but not least: are you a letter-writer?
Rebecca: I was a great letter-writer in college and when I lived abroad, perhaps because I had a little more time back then and lived far from my family and friends. I loved the satisfaction of finishing a nice letter, putting the stamp on it and dropping it in the mailbox. It always felt like such an accomplishment.

I do still write to a few friends, but mostly just on birthdays or special occasions. The exception is my friend Mark who now lives in Paris. We have an agreement to write letters every other month (he has even-numbered months, I have odd numbered). The rule is that if you miss your month, you have to write two letters next time around, so it works pretty well.

But at home in my closet is a box of every letter I’ve ever received - which always makes my Top 5 list in the what-would-you-save-in-a-fire game. I love to pull out old letters from time to time and walk down memory lane.

[You can see Rebecca's work at Moontree Letterpress and purchase her 2008 calendar and holiday card collection at her Etsy shop.]

The Modern Letter Project talks to one of our favorite designers, Joy of Nantaka Joy, the Oh Joy! blog, and Oh Joy! Studio about her background in design, her favorite haunts in Philadelphia, artists she loves, and her inspirations.

MLP: Hi Joy. Please introduce yourself!
Joy: Hello! I am a freelance textile & graphic designer who works with a variety of clients in the fashion and home decor industries through my company Oh Joy! Studio. In May, I launched a collection of ready-made stationery called Nantaka Joy which sells at boutiques & paperies nationwide. I also run the Oh Joy! blog and have a weekly column, LifeStyle, in the Philadelphia Inquirer's Home & Design section.

MLP: Do you have a background in design? What is your training?
Joy: I do have a background in design. When I was in high school, I either wanted to be a designer or a scientist (I know, how different could they be?!). Luckily, art school won out, and I went to Syracuse University’s School of Visual and Performing Arts and majored in Communications Design (the same as Graphic Design). I took a lot of elective classes in fibers, paper-making, and print-making because enjoyed getting my hands dirty and making stuff. It was a nice contrast to sitting in front of the computer designing. I think the mix of the two really helps me to still enjoy both the technical aspect of design as well as those things that happen by accident when you’re experimenting and making things by hand.

After college, I moved to New York and worked with numerous fashion clients
at a boutique advertising agency in SoHo. Eventually, I wanted to create things that people actually kept and made them happy. So I transitioned into textile design at Cynthia Rowley designing home accessories for the Swell line at Target. The first time I saw something that I had designed in Target was one of the coolest moments of my career.

I moved back to Philadelphia (where I am from) in 2005, to be in the same city as my then-boyfriend (now husband) and found myself freelancing. The freelancing grew into a full-time career and now I couldn’t imagine working for anyone else!

MLP: Are you native to Philadelphia? What are some of your favorite spots around town?
Joy: Yes, I was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. I went away to school and to work after school in the New York area, but am now back near my family. My husband and I are huge foodies having both grown up with parents in the restaurant business, so we enjoy the amazing restaurants Philadelphia has to offer. A few of my favorites are Vetri for Italian, Tinto for Tapas, Raw for Sushi, and Siam Cuisine for Thai. As for shopping, Petulia’s Folly (for the new designer clothing I love but can’t yet afford), Open House (for home goods), and Grocery 13 (for their cupcakes).

MLP: What inspired you to start Nantaka Joy, and can you tell us a bit about where the name comes from?
Joy: As a graphic designer, I’ve always designed for a client. It’s my design, but catered to a client’s needs. I wanted to do something that was completely my own. I had planned to start a home accessories line originally. But budget-wise, it was just too much to handle as we had just gotten married and anything with textiles is much more involved time and cost-wise. So I decided to start small with paper and I’m really glad I did. In a lot of ways I brought my ideas of from a textile line into my collection (thus the paper & pattern) and it helped me to ease into having a product line with materials I am already familiar with. The plan to grow my line into textiles is still in the works…so stay tuned!

I am Thai-American (Thai parents but born in the US) so the name is my Thai name and American name. Pronounced "nahn-ta-ka joy", when put together literally translates to "Happy Lady Joy".

MLP: How would you describe the style of your work?
Joy: I think it always incorporates a mix of whimsy & elegance. I love color, texture, pattern, and the mix of hand-drawn and refined elements.

MLP: We love your use of woodcut—and integration of copper, gold, and platinum – what inspired this line?
Joy: One of the first print-making classes I took in college was linoleum & woodcut. I love the slightly imperfect look of this because no carving was ever completely smooth or perfect. The metallic woodcuts are inspired by the chunkiness and texture of a woodcut while being a bit more refined and smoothed out. The metallics add a touch of luxe to the casual and earthy nature of the kraft paper.

MLP: Describe your workspace to us. How is it organized? Any special mementos hanging above your desk?
Joy: My studio is a part of our home. It’s small, but it does the job. I’ve got a pretty big desk with my computer and printer, a large work table with tons of drawers, a bulletin board with current projects and inspirations, and there’s a large area of bookshelves that serve as a packing area for when I ship out orders for my stationery line.

MLP: What are some of your design inspirations?
Joy: That’s got to be the hardest question to answer. I’m inspired a lot, and my blog has really helped me to keep track of all those things (sometimes too much so!) Colors and textures really inspire me…whether it’s in fabric, on a building, in nature, or in food. I love seeing interiors, visual styling, photography…I enjoy seeing how a mixture of things work together to create something beautiful.

MLP: Who are some of your favorite card/stationery designers and artists?
Joy: This is hard! There are so many, and I have since become friends or acquaintances with a lot of the people that I admire. For stationery, a small sampling of my favorites include…Binth, Paper + Cup, Egg Press, Port2Port, Whimsy Press, Millimeter/Milligram, and Uncooked. I also love the custom wedding work from Bird & Banner, Good on Paper, and Hello Lucky. My current favorites artist/designer crushes include…Julia Rothman, Elisabeth Dunker, Phillip Lim, Mina Perhonen, Stina Persson, Matthew Williamson, Madison Marcus, Ditte Isager, Artfool, Livia Cetti…and many more…

And then legends like Charles & Ray Eames, Lucienne Day and Maira Kalman will always be favorites.

MLP: We know you do design work through Oh Joy! Studio, but do you also do custom card design for special occasions? What is the process like?
Joy: Yes, I do custom designs for special occasions through my studio. While most of the work my studio does is graphic & textile design for fashion companies, I also design custom wedding invitations, baby announcements, and other event-related pieces. The custom stationery is a much smaller part of my business, but I love creating custom pieces for people who really appreciate having some unique and special to celebrate a specific occasion.

MLP: How do you select the materials you use for your collection? Any favorite materials?
Joy: I select based on the concept for each collection or project. The materials often come to me before the design does. I’ve always loved papers so whenever I get the chance to use interesting materials, I take full advantage of it.

MLP: What do you forecast for trends in paper for 2008?
Joy: Personalization has had a revival in the past couple years and I think it will continue as the idea of old-fashioned letter-writing with your own stationery seems so elegant. Also, stationery designers are experimenting more with materials…wood veneer became a new great material this year so I think we’ll continue to see more of that.

MLP: Do you have any special cards and designs coming up for the holidays?
Joy: Since I just launched my line in May, I decided not to do any holiday items this year so I could stay focused on the spring line. Stay tuned in the early spring for some new items! Click HERE to see a list of stores that sell Nantaka Joy's stationery.

MLP: And last, but not least: are you a letter-writer? If so, who do you usually write to?
Joy: In college, I was lucky to have a lot of creative and thoughtful friends who enjoyed writing letters and making beautiful letters out of random things as much as I did. So that was a time when my letter-writing was at it’s best. Now, I send cards but they are not full-on letters. It’s something I’d love to do more.

+ More on Nantaka Joy stationery HERE

The Modern Letter Project talks to Maria (aka mav) of Port2port press about learning to print, living in Portland, Maine, her inspirations and just a few of her great projects: the card society and 3191.

MLP: Hello! Tell us about yourself.
p2p: Hi. I’m Maria {also known online as mav which are my initials}. I am an artist and I have a small letterpress printing business + two online blogs. I also love to spend my time taking photographs, styling, designing, baking, taking walks, talking to other artists … I’ll leave it at that. I live in Portland, Maine and am originally from the Midwest.

MLP: What is your training? Where did you learn to print?
p2p: I went to Indiana University and graduated in Fine Arts with the focus on Graphic Design. I first printed on Vandercook presses while at IU. I could tell from the very first time I printed that I preferred that type of visual expression over working on the computer but I had no idea how I would be able to do anything about it. When I was living in Chicago I found a wonderful man {a letterpress expert to say the least} who I did some volunteer work for and he let me use his presses. That was just another taste of printing which I adored. He taught me so much … and in the end sold me my first press.

MLP: What kind of equipment do you use? Press? Inks? Favorite papers?
p2p: I have two tabletop Pilot presses. I also use my Mac and several different cameras. I prefer to shoot film. I use paper of all kinds and ink of all kinds. I can’t say that I have favorite papers but I love printing on heavy kraft board. I also love printing on white paper…colors are great but I get my biggest kick out of printing on bright, textured {and heavy} white paper.

MLP: Tell us about the inspirations for your stationery and cards.
p2p: It’s hard for me to say it as one thing. My work is heavily inspired by life; just everyday living. I keep notes while I’m in walks or while I travel and I just like to make simple designs that give the viewer room to breathe. I love nature and parts of life that are mundane but so beautiful like doing dishes or some such. I love small shifts in color and finding little treasured moments and visuals in places that one might overlook.

MLP: Port2port press is based out of Portland, Maine. Why Portland? And how does Portland inspire your art?
p2p: I really like it here in Portland. Before Portland I was in Chicago for 6 years; another tremendous city! I just need somewhere where I can walk everywhere if need be … somewhere where the food is good, the seasons are dynamic and I can be close to water and trees. This place inspires me by allowing me the opportunity to be outside and to be a part of a city that has just enough going on {I can get overwhelmed in a big city and it’s hard for me to relax}. And certainly the ocean is completely seductive in my eyes. I have dreams about it.

MLP: Why do you call yourself “port2port?”
p2p: This was the name that my blogging partner {who is a dear friend; she is not on the blog as much anymore} and her husband came up with. She lives in a small port town on the west coast and I live in my port town on the east coast so they came up with the name from there. When the press started in 2006 it just seemed to make sense that it would have that name as well…it was, after all, the blogging world that inspired me to have a business at all.

MLP:When a potential client approaches you requesting custom stationery, what can they expect?
p2p: Right now I just offer one type of custom work...my antique wood type stationery. You can either come in and know just what you want {with my recommendations given of course} OR, I can certainly give you ideas. I don’t need to have a strict level of artistic control…part of what I do is just print. Sometimes if someone comes and says, “I want this word in green and I want the word centered”, I think, "whew; an order where I can just let my brain rest."

MLP: You’ve chosen to keep your stationery out of larger stores and focus on unique designs and limited edition card sets. Why is this important to you?
p2p: It’s just important to me not to get bored. I know that may sound sort of simple or even immature but when it comes to making art, but it’s really important to me to keep ideas coming freely and not feel frustrated because I can’t see them to fruition. Port2port press built around my personality and realizing my strengths and weaknesses. There are enough stationery companies who will reprint designs for shops {many of whom are amazing!} so I will let them do that. I am the kind of person who loves to be engaged in what she is doing…I could only see that working if I always keep the work fresh and new. I have to do the printing so I don’t want to reprint designs for shops; it would make the work seem more like work. I get antsy if I can’t have some level of newness in my weekly work life.

MLP: Who else have you collaborated with?
p2p: : Natalie Tweedie of Scotland / Camilla Engman of Sweden / Lisa Congdon of the US / Stephanie Waddell of the US / Christopher Ryan of the US. I am sure I’m forgetting someone. Next year I plan to do even more collaborations. They make me so happy!

MLP: Who are some of your favorite card/stationery makers?
p2p: : I think I’ll just stick to letterpress to keep things simple--so in no order at all--

Sesame Letterpress
Peculiar Pair Press
Egg Press
Black Pearl Press
Palindrome Press
Pancake and Franks
Moontree Press

MLP: Do you have a favorite edition of all your designs?
p2p: I still really dig the set I did for the design*sponge shop called Regal Nº1-5. You can see it HERE.

I also really enjoy the sets I have done with Camilla Engman. She is such an extraordinary talent! You can see those in this set.

MLP: In June 2006 you started "the card society,” a card-of-the-month club where participants receive 2 one of-a-kind cards at every mailing. What inspired this club?
p2p: This club is so much fun. I keep notes and design each month based on what is seasonal and what the members might enjoy. Sometimes I like to include something fun like stickers or an extra card. I consider this one of my very favorite projects to work on because I get to take a bundle of mail to the post and I have the most fun daydreaming about where the cards end up…and I just like the idea so much. I hope the club goes on forever!

MLP: Tell us about 3191: A Year of Mornings and the Photographs & Prints project: what inspired them?
p2p: 3191 was inspired by a random happening – I posted a similar photograph to Stephanie Congdon Barnes early on in December of 2006 and it caused me pause. So I asked her if she wanted to do a year of diptychs and she said yes. That is how it all started. We have loved the project so much! My Photographs & Prints project is a way for me to use the different mediums which I partake in to create one project. I really enjoy mixing up mediums. It’s nice to see one idea or one set of thoughts played out in different ways … so it just hit me to have one idea and build the rest of the visual project around that. This project is very special to me; it means a lot. It will change a bit in 2008 but it will continue.

MLP: Are you a letter-writer?
p2p: I used to be a major letter-writer but not as much anymore. Now I do more package sending. I do have plans though, once I can get my studio out of my apartment, to turn my smallest room into a writing room. I want to get an old farm table as a desk and have that sit in the room alone with a chair, no computer. A place where I can write letters and do things with pen & paper. I think that writing letters requires a nice space … I will create this, hopefully, in 2008.

MLP: Anything else?
p2p: I love your project so much! Thank you for asking me to be a part of it. When I get my letter-writing room set up in 2008 I’ll let you know! :)

Bi-coastal store-owner, jewelry-designer, and notecard connoisseur Rena Tom talks about her new San Francisco shop, Rare Device, stationery trends, and her holiday gift picks for your letter-writing friends.

MLP: Welcome, Rena! Can you tell us a little about yourself?
RT: I am a native Californian, back out west after three exciting years in New York. When I was in New York, I opened a small shop in Brooklyn called Rare Device and have developed a passion for finding fresh modern design and working with independent designers. I used to design wedding invitations and print them on my Gocco, and I used to have a Kelsey 3x5” tabletop letterpress.

MLP: You are opening a new shop on Market Street in San Francisco on October 25th in partnership with San Francisco artist Lisa Congdon. Tell us a little about the new shop.
RT: The second Rare Device location is four times as big as the first! This means we have the opportunity to offer more categories like furniture and lighting, and to host monthly art shows as well in a dedicated gallery space. We will still stock many handcrafted items but the main mission is to bring design-led products (many by NYC designers) that are not seen in every shop in town to the west coast.

MLP: How exciting! How do you select the cards and journals you’ll stock in your store? What do you look for?
RT: Well, we look for many things: humor, great graphic design, nice packaging, or some special feature that makes the product stand out from the crowd. For example, a greeting card is good, but one that is die-cut to convert to an ornament, or can be planted to grow flowers, or has a matching printed envelope is even better.

MLP: Who are some of your favorite card-makers and stationery suppliers?
RT: Oh boy, there are so many! Mateo Ilasco offers printed wood veneer stationery, Studio Olivine has a beautiful sense of line and color, millimeter/milligram makes a range of planners and journals that are filled with optimism and whimsy.

MLP: What are the most popular cards in your store? What goes flying off the shelf?
RT: Apak Studio cards have cute hand-drawn characters and always do well. And the Jill Bliss Native Flowers journal is gorgeous and we always have them in stock. Recently, the 5 Year Diary by Tamara Shopsin is a super gift item, it’s conceptual and aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

MLP: Do you see any trends in cards and stationery for 2008? What’s popular now?
RT: The popularity of illustration and hand-lettering is carrying over into paper goods. There were a lot of hard-edged silhouettes previously but people want something a bit rougher around the edges now. Letterpress is still strong but doing it on colored paper makes the cards stand out even more.

MLP: Your new store is partially an art gallery. Who is curating?
RT: Lisa will be curating the gallery. She’s already booked us through January 2009! We have the same taste so I trust her completely. We’ll alternate between drawing and painting, installations, photography and some group shows with The Beholder and Poketo.

MLP: Any holiday gift suggestions for our letter-writing friends?
RT: Elum is making a gorgeous boxed set of stationery that will inspire you to write. I also think it would be great to get this mini-tote from Good on Paper and fill it up with a selection of cards and paper!

MLP: And, because we have to ask: are you a letter-writer?
RT: Lately it’s been all e-mail, which is so sad, but I used to write long letters to various crushes when I was in college. I still have their letters to me! I think there are certain people in our lives who inspire a handwritten letter, it’s a very lovely and intimate activity.

The BRAND NEW Rare Device will open on October 25th, 6-10 p.m. with an exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist, Kelly Lynn Jones. 1845 Market Street (between Guerrero and Valencia) in San Francisco. 415.863.3969.

Visit Rare Device (NYC) at 453 7th Avenue (between 15th and 16th Street), Brooklyn. 718.301.6375.

Samara O'Shea is the author of For the Love of Letters, a modern guide to letter writing rife with examples and anecdotes of all types of written communication: love letters, break-up letters, thank–you letters, apology letters, sympathy letters, cover letters, (and emails). Published in April by HarperCollins, O'Shea guides fellow letter aficionados, as well as those less versed in the art of letter writing, on why to write a letter, how to start, what to say, what language to use, and how to deliver. Including historical letters, quotes, and personal examples of letter-writing successes and failures, O'Shea tackles letter-writing in our modern era. We here at Modern Letter Project HQ were excited to interview O'Shea about her new book, find out what she thinks of email, what it means to write a letter, and how she feels about the Modern Letter Project.

MLP: First, can you tell us a little about yourself? Where you are from?

O'Shea: I was born in Philadelphia. My family moved a few times while I was growing up but we were always near that city. I went to college in Pittsburgh (Duquesne University) and moved to Manhattan immediately after graduation to pursue a career in magazines. I worked and played in New York for six years and have recently purchased a home, which brought me full circle back to the Philadelphia area.

MLP: We're curious: how did you get into writing letters? What are your earliest memories of writing letters – when and to whom?

O'Shea: My earliest memories of writing letters consistently are when I was in 4th grade—though I know I wrote them before then. I asked my cousin Kate to be my pen pal, and she and I wrote back and forth until we were in Jr. High. By then it was notes to pass in class (remember no text messaging back then) that I spent most of my time writing.

MLP: When you are thinking of writing a letter, where is your favorite place to write?

O'Shea: It doesn’t matter. I’ll write letters anywhere. My desk. The library. Starbucks.

MLP: What are your favorite kinds of letters to receive?

O'Shea:Thank you notes and correspondence letters. The kind that say, “. . .just thinking of you and thought I’d write.”

MLP: Do you have any favorite stationers or stationery stores?

O'Shea: Any time I go into a small town I love looking for the local novelty shop to see what type of stationery they have. Those stores are full of so much character. As far as chains are concerned, I’m partial toward Papyrus.

Now, on to your book:

MLP: In your book you stress letters are the “connection between yesterday and today.” How do you think this connection is changing as fewer letters and more emails are exchanged?

O'Shea: Let it be known that I am a fan of e-mail and now that we have it I think it’d be devastating to lose, but I also think we should take time to include letter writing in our lives in addition to digital forms of communications. I have two problems with e-mail. The first is how lax we are with our language. We toss off quick, mindless messages, whereas in a letter you’re likely to spread the language out and put more thought into what you’re saying. Also, e-mails are ephemeral and they can disappear easily and accidentally. I encourage people to print out e-mails that move them and put them in a shoebox as they once would have done with letters. This will be evidence for generations to come of what our everyday lives were like.