There's an interesting bit of postal history detailed on the HMS Richmond Web site, dedicated to the historical re-creation of a British ship's company from the American War for Independence time period (18th century).
According to the section of the Web site titled "Letter Writing Style of 1775," at that time, the recipient paid the postage due and the amount of postage was based on the number of sheets of paper in the letter.
I guess the friends and family of those of us who can be a bit long-winded in our letter writing are happy that this practice has changed. Fortunately for those with a lot to say, mailing a letter today is quite economical.
Now, go write a letter!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Fun discovery
Sometimes, I am just amazed at how things link together, providing us with more information and enlightenment.
For me, this letter writing thing isn't something new. From letters to and from friends and relatives when I was a kid, to world-wide pen pals when I was a teenager, I've always been interested in communicating with other people.
While working on the 365 Letters project, I keep coming across newspaper clippings that I've saved through the years.
Recently I found an undated but yellowed newspaper article by Mike Harden with the Scripps Howard News Service. It was clipped from the Dallas Morning News, and the headline reads: "Letter-writing leader seeks pals, not lovers."
The article is all about Steve Sikora, who at the time lived in Albany, Calif. He published a three-times-a-year magazine called "The Letter Exchange."
According to the article, Mr. Sikora never intended for the pen pal service to be a match-making service. In fact, he's quoted as saying, "Meet minds through these pages, not bodies... Writing to at total stranger is both exciting and risky... Don't get caught up in a fantasy world."
However, the article goes on to explain, sometimes love bloomed after all. At the time the article was written, Mr. Sikora said "a couple dozen" of the thousands of pen pals he had connected had married each other.
After all these years, I still found the article interesting. And, now, with Google so handy, I checked to see of "The Letter Exchange" was still being published.
What a nice surprise! Although Mr. Sikora retired from the magazine in the year 2000, just three years later, it was revived by Gary and Lonna, who were involved with what is known as LEX in its earlier years. They are still publishing the magazine, with the next issue slated to come out later this month. And, they have a Web site for The Letter Exchange now. And, I see from some information on the LEX Web site that some of my fellow letter-writing bloggers know about LEX.
Here's the gist of the magazine....you subscribe and send in a listing about yourself. Your listing is published in the magazine without your name or address; you're identified by a LEX number. Then, other people who read the magazine, pick out listings that they're interested in and send letters to LEX. The letters are then forwarded to the appropriate person, and a penfriendship is established.
The Web site lists the current subscription prices as ranging from $21.50 to $26.50, depending on the type of delivery you want and where you live.
It looks like a great project!
For me, this letter writing thing isn't something new. From letters to and from friends and relatives when I was a kid, to world-wide pen pals when I was a teenager, I've always been interested in communicating with other people.
While working on the 365 Letters project, I keep coming across newspaper clippings that I've saved through the years.
Recently I found an undated but yellowed newspaper article by Mike Harden with the Scripps Howard News Service. It was clipped from the Dallas Morning News, and the headline reads: "Letter-writing leader seeks pals, not lovers."
The article is all about Steve Sikora, who at the time lived in Albany, Calif. He published a three-times-a-year magazine called "The Letter Exchange."
According to the article, Mr. Sikora never intended for the pen pal service to be a match-making service. In fact, he's quoted as saying, "Meet minds through these pages, not bodies... Writing to at total stranger is both exciting and risky... Don't get caught up in a fantasy world."
However, the article goes on to explain, sometimes love bloomed after all. At the time the article was written, Mr. Sikora said "a couple dozen" of the thousands of pen pals he had connected had married each other.
After all these years, I still found the article interesting. And, now, with Google so handy, I checked to see of "The Letter Exchange" was still being published.
What a nice surprise! Although Mr. Sikora retired from the magazine in the year 2000, just three years later, it was revived by Gary and Lonna, who were involved with what is known as LEX in its earlier years. They are still publishing the magazine, with the next issue slated to come out later this month. And, they have a Web site for The Letter Exchange now. And, I see from some information on the LEX Web site that some of my fellow letter-writing bloggers know about LEX.
Here's the gist of the magazine....you subscribe and send in a listing about yourself. Your listing is published in the magazine without your name or address; you're identified by a LEX number. Then, other people who read the magazine, pick out listings that they're interested in and send letters to LEX. The letters are then forwarded to the appropriate person, and a penfriendship is established.
The Web site lists the current subscription prices as ranging from $21.50 to $26.50, depending on the type of delivery you want and where you live.
It looks like a great project!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Looking for some new stationery?
I came across this Web site today for making a self-mailer that doesn't require scissors, tape or glue.
It's a cute little mailer, and the site has templates that you can print out.
Have some fun this weekend and send out some letters!
It's a cute little mailer, and the site has templates that you can print out.
Have some fun this weekend and send out some letters!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Quote of the Week
I hold that the parentheses are by far the most important parts of a non-business letter.
~D.H. Lawrence
I use lots of parentheses when I write letters, and I often use ellipses (...), too.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
First postcard!
About a week ago, I mentioned that I had sent some postcards to people I found at Postcrossing. This week, I received my first postcard!
It's an interesting postcard, shaped like a bookmark and sent from a girl in Poland.
And, it looks like two of my postcards have now reached their destinations!
What international fun!
I still have four postcards en route, and I'm looking forward to receiving more postcards in the mailbox!
This is a fun complement to my letter writing project.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Making more letter writing friends
A few weeks ago, I responded to the "Receive Free Post" offer at Post Letters! It's a blog campaign to promote better letter writing.
According to the blog,
I received my mailing last week...a sheet of paper decorated with leaves cut out of a variety of papers. It was quite elegant.
Since the purpose of Post Letters! is to encourage people to write more letters, I used that paper to write a letter to a person I found on sendsomething.net, an online list of "Mail Enthusiasts" who love to receive things in the mail. I let the recipient know where the paper came from. I even recycled the envelope from Post Letters! and used it to mail my letter to the sendsomething.net pen pal.
I just find it so interesting that there are so many sites out there dedicated to letter writing!
According to the blog,
"Post Letters is a UK-based, worldwide movement to encourage, promote and take delight in the activity of writing letters and sending post. Both a call to action and a description of our time, Post Letters needs your help.
We bring people together to think about Post in the Twenty First Century, organise letter readings and writings, present you with new ideas for your post, commission artists and writers to produce new mail art, produce Post Events and much more besides."
I received my mailing last week...a sheet of paper decorated with leaves cut out of a variety of papers. It was quite elegant.
Since the purpose of Post Letters! is to encourage people to write more letters, I used that paper to write a letter to a person I found on sendsomething.net, an online list of "Mail Enthusiasts" who love to receive things in the mail. I let the recipient know where the paper came from. I even recycled the envelope from Post Letters! and used it to mail my letter to the sendsomething.net pen pal.
I just find it so interesting that there are so many sites out there dedicated to letter writing!
Monday, June 1, 2009
My stamps arrived!
As I've ventured more and more into the 21st century penpal world, I've remembered some things from the past. When I was in high school and had penpals from all over the globe, I often used the less expensive self-mailers that the post office sold. The postage was pre-printed on the all-in-one stationery/envelope. If I didn't use one of those blue mailers, I most likely used a standard U.S. Postal Service airmail/international postage stamp.
Maybe I didn't realize I didn't have to use those particular stamps; maybe I just didn't fully comprehend the popularity of "stamp art." I remember one penpal writing and asking me to use some different stamps. I'm sure he or she was collecting stamps and wanted something new for the collection.
After reading some comments on letter writing blogs and forums, I've once again realized the fun in using a variety of stamps. So, I logged on to the U.S. Postal Service's Web site and ordered some stamps.
What fun it was! I calculated all sorts of postage rates and picked out stamps in several different amounts.
It took my order a week to arrive, but to be fair, I did place the order on the Friday of a three-day weekend. Now, I'm having fun choosing just the right stamp for each envelope.
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