Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Great piece of letter-writing history going up for auction

A wonderful letter handwritten by Bonnie Parker for Clyde Barrow, who then signed it, is going up for auction in September at RR Auction, headquartered in Boston.

The letter from Barrow was sent to fellow gangster Raymond Hamilton, who was incarcerated at the Dallas (Texas) County Jail. According to RR Auction, the letter is not dated but is known to have arrived at the jail on April 30, 1934.

The auction house's website also shows a newspaper article from that time that explains how law enforcement confirmed the letter's authenticity. Some of Bonnie Parker's relatives identified her handwriting, and she was known to have written letters for Barrow.

The letter provides great detail about the lives of the gangsters. Hamilton had been a part of the Barrow Gang but had split with them a few weeks before the letter was written. In the letter, Barrow derides Hamilton's tendency to "live like a king" by sleeping in hotels and taking passenger trains. He also gets in a dig at Hamilton's girlfriend, referring to her as his "Prostitute Sweetheart."

You can read the entire text of the letter and see several pages of it at the auction company's website.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Weekend Letter Writing Tip


"The Love Letter" by
Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta

For many letter writers, the weekend offers the most free time, which is exactly what you need for writing letters. 

Oh, to be sure, you can jot off a quick note and get it in the mail on your lunch break or after work during the week. But, the typically more relaxed weekend offers the opportunity to sit down and write a truly heartfelt letter to someone who would love to hear from you.

This weekend, make plans to write at least one good letter that you will mail on Monday. 

The first thing you need to do is gather all of your letter writing supplies – stationery, a good pen, envelopes, address book and stamps. Look around for a box or maybe even a tote bag to keep all those things handy.

Look at your schedule for the weekend and plan to give yourself a quiet hour to sit down and write that letter. 

Then, as you go about your weekend chores, start thinking about the person to whom you will be writing. Remember the last time you saw him or her and what you talked about. Think of some good times you’ve shared together. Come up with a few things you’d really like to tell them. If you need to, carry a mini notebook in your pocket and jot down notes on what you want to write in your letter.

When your designated letter writing time comes, sit in a quiet corner, maybe put on some of your favorite music. Relax and write that letter.

Go ahead and get it ready to go in the mailbox. If you have errands to run this weekend, drive past a mail box and drop that letter in.

Happy letter writing!

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Musical Letter Writing History


On this day in 1961, the Motown record label released "Please Mr. Postman" by the Marvelettes. It was written by written by Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland and Robert Bateman.

At the time of the recording, the Marvelettes included Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson (now Schaffner), Georgeanna Tillman (later Gordon), Juanita Cowart (now Cowart Motley), and Wanda Young (now Rogers).

The lyrics include:
"Please Mister Postman, look and see
 If there's a letter in your bag for me
 Why's it takin' such a long time
 For me to hear from that boy of mine"
 Thanks to the CBS Sunday Morning Show for reminding us of this date in letter writing history on this morning's show! See more here.


Monday, August 15, 2016

Great Book: The Little Paris Bookshop



Last week, my daughter and I went to a bookstore. She needed to get a copy of “The Scarlet Letter,” and I was looking for a couple of mystery novels to take to my mom. We filled both of those orders, but along the way, I also found a novel for myself.

With the busy schedule I keep, I often don’t have time to read fiction. It’s almost as if it’s a luxury that I can’t afford the minutes for.

And, yet, when I came across “The Little Paris Bookshop” by Nina George, I couldn’t resist it. 

The cover caught my eye, with its image of a slightly tattered postcard atop a scene of Paris. 

Then, I read the back cover snippet, which reads, in part:

“Monsieur Perdu is a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can’t seem to heal is himself: he’s still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter that he has never opened.”

So, of course, I bought a copy. It was a great buy! I just finished “The Little Paris Bookshop,” which was published in Germany under the name “Das Lavendelzimmer” and was translated by Simon Pare, and I loved every word of it. 

“The Little Paris Bookshop” is the type of book that draws the reader into the lives of the characters so completely that when you have to put the book down for a few minutes to take care of your real-life obligations, such as feeding your family, you miss the characters and can’t wait to get back to them. Jean Perdu loves books, makes quirky friends, always has a cat or two hanging around … and he writes letters.

Nina George has such a way with words that, no matter where you are or what’s going on around you, you are effortlessly transported to the scenes she describes, seeing what the characters see, feeling what they feel.

Here’s a paragraph:

Young Jean had gazed out into the depths of space, watching in raptures as the heavens continued to turn. He had felt safe, ensconced in the heart of that endless summer night. For those few hours, Jean Perdu had grasped life’s secrets and purposes. He had been at peace with himself, everything in its rightful place. He had known that nothing ever ends, that everything in life flows into everything else and that he could do no wrong.

If you love books or letters or travel or France or love, if you are the least bit sentimental or enjoy a good escape from everyday life every now and then, find a copy of “The Little Paris Bookshop” by Nina George.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

Monday, August 8, 2016

Stamps Honor the Olympics


As millions of people across the globe watch the 2016 Olympics in Rio this week, several countries have released postage stamps honoring the games.

Although the U.S. Postal Service didn't release a new Olympics stamp this year, they have several times in the past. And the International Stamp News website has a list of stories about the stamps that have been issued this year by various countries. Click here for more information.

A US stamp from the past.
The Olympics offer a great way for people of all different nationalities to connect with one another...just like letter writing and penpalling does. The games also provide great topics to write letters about! Write to your penpals about your favorite Summer Olympics sport, how your country's teams are doing, what sport you play or wish you played, etc. The ideas are practically endless!

Enjoy watching the games, and write some letters while you watch.


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