Review: 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' book by Nina Sankovitch

Earlier this year, the publishing house Simon and Schuster released "Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Celebrating the Joys of Letter Writing" by Nina Sankovitch.

If you've fallen behind in your correspondence, this book will inspire you to rush right to your desk, pull out your stationery and favorite pen and write a letter immediately. If you already write letters on a regular basis, Sankovitch's story will validate your constant scribbling.

The nonfiction book was inspired by an old trunk full of letters discovered in the backyard shed of the house she and her husband had just bought. The home's previous owners didn't want the contents of the trunk and told Sankovitch she could keep the letters.

It took her almost a year to read through the letters that had been written in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many of the letters were written by James Seligman to his mother, and Sankovitch got to know him through the letters.

But, the author's experience reading the correspondence of people she never knew is only part of the book. From there, she goes on to explore, in depth, what letters can mean.

For example, she writes about her older sister Anne-Marie, who died from cancer when Sankovitch's children were young. Over the years, Sankovitch had kept all of the letters her sister had written to her, and now she says about those letters:

"...it is the written words she left me, postcards and birthday cards and letters exchanged over my forty-plus years of being her sister, that allow me to hold in my hand the very substance of who she was, to me and with me. To touch: I can hold my sister still, in a very real and lovely and lasting way."

About letters from her son, away at college, she says, "A letter brings him home again."

Throughout the book, Sankovitch discusses many letters written by people through history, and often she reflects on the letters, comparing them to events in her own life. She wonders, for example, if she should offer advice to her son in her letters, as poet W.B. Yeats advised his daughter as she grew up.

From the letters in the trunks to the published letters of famous authors, Sankovitch explores how much we can learn about people through their letters. As in life, some of the chapters cover the topic of love, including some of the more racy letters that people sometimes write, as well as the other emotions that can be conveyed via the hand-written word.

If you'd like to see a video of Nina Sankovitch talking about the book, visit the Simon and Schuster page for "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and scroll down. Click on the link for the video "Celebrating the Joys of Letter Writing."

You can also purchase a copy of the book on that site.

It's a great book that will be thoroughly enjoyed by letter writers and letter readers alike.

Address Book in the 365 Letters Etsy Shop

Several weeks ago, I finished designing the address book I've been dreaming about for years, and now it's available in the 365 Letters Etsy shop. You can read all the details on the Address Book page of this blog and in the Etsy shop.

It's available in two versions, the standard address book and the customized address book that lets you tell me exactly how many address/name spaces you need for each letter of the alphabet.

Happy letter writing!

Yes, You Can Change Things with a Letter

I'm sure 7-year-old Charlotte Benjamin had high hopes that by writing a letter to the Lego company she could convince them to make more girl Legos that go on adventures instead of just going to the beach and shopping. Thanks to the Internet, Charlotte's letter garnered lots of attention, and now the Lego company has introduced a new set of Legos featuring female scientists in a lab that includes a telescope, dinosaur model and chemistry lab.

Yea! Not only did Charlotte help encourage more positive role models for girls, but she also showed the world how powerful a hand-written letter can be!

Is there something you need to write a letter about today? Write it!

Back to School Letters

(Clipart courtesy of Webweaver's Free Clipart)

For most American children, back-to-school time is quickly approaching. Many kids will be experiencing the first day of the 2014-15 school year in the next few weeks.

This is a great time to write a letter! If you're an adult who has already finished your schooling, you can write to a school child about your favorite first-day-of-school memory, maybe talk about some of the supplies you had to have and how that's changed through the years.

If you're still in school, write about what you're looking forward to, as well as what you're dreading, this year. Try to keep the letter upbeat, especially if you're writing to a fellow student. This is a good opportunity to get the school year off to a good start!

Happy letter writing!

Making friends with a letter

When a little kid wants to make a new friend, it's usually not a big deal for him or her to just walk up to another youngster on the playground and say, "Hi! Wanna play?" Then, they run off toward the seesaws or swings. Even shy children are often approached by other kids and quickly find themselves in the middle of a group of new friends.

It's not always so easy for adults to make new friends. By the time we're grown, we've developed a layer of self-consciousness that makes us second-guess ourselves. Before we have a chance to greet someone, we often hear a little voice in our heads saying, "What if they say no? What if they don't like me? What if I have broccoli stuck in my teeth?" Sometimes, what should be a ready-made friend pool, such as an office at work or a classroom at college seems full of cliques and people who already know each other.

Here's how I reconnected with an old acquaintance several years ago and developed a long-time friendship....I wrote her a letter. Specifically, I wrote her a short note inviting her to coffee.

We had gone to college together and then worked at the same place for a couple of years. But, at the time I wrote the letter, we were both freelance writing from home. I was feeling rather isolated from the working world and wanted to connect with someone...make a friend. Even though I was accustomed to calling up strangers and interviewing them over the phone, I was suddenly shy when thinking about calling up this old friend I had grown apart from.

So, even though we lived in the same city, I wrote her a letter. I don't remember exactly what I wrote. I know I invited her to meet me for coffee sometime soon to catch up on our lives and talk about writing. I think I probably included my phone number in the note, and I'm pretty sure she called me to schedule a "date."

We live in different towns now, but we still get together from time to time, to talk over old times, discuss our careers and families, etc.

If you're looking for a friend but think the art of adult friend-making is kind of awkward, consider writing a letter. You might even explain that awkwardness in the letter:

Dear Jane,

Twenty years ago, I would've just said, "You wanna come over and play?" but that doesn't seem appropriate for adults, does it? However, I've noticed your interest in art and was wondering if you'd like to meet for coffee sometime and then take in that new exhibit at the museum. My husband doesn't enjoy modern art, and my daughter would probably be texting the whole time. If you're interested, please give me a call at (123) 456-7890 or email me at xxxxxx@xxxx.com, if you'd prefer.

I hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely.
Betty

World-wide Postal Woes

Many who write letters today are aware of the troubles their local postal services are facing. As fewer people write and mail letters, and as fewer bills, advertisements and other information are sent by mail, the post offices are struggling — and often failing — to stay relevant and solvent.

Here in the U.S., some proposed solutions include reducing mail delivery from six days a week to five or fewer, doing away with house-by-house delivery and replacing the personal mailboxes with large, neighborhood boxes.

Despite our 21st century access to worldwide news 24-hours a day, we often don't see the news that similar issues are going on all over the globe. The Sydney Morning Herald recently printed an article about how "Snail Mail is crawling to a standstill" in Australia.


Aside from all of the statistics and data listed in the article, one of the most interesting things was the part about the Australia Post's Education website section. The page aimed at students offers tips for letter writing; some history of the alphabet, paper, pens and more; an interactive letter writing tool; and much more.

It would be nice if the U.S. Postal Service offered some educational information like that on its website, some proactive marketing. What a fun job that would be...helping to save the postal service by teaching the younger generation the joys of letter writing!

Rarest stamp in the world

The British Guiana at Sotheby's.

Although the sending of written messages from one person to another surely has been around since about the time the written language was invented and formal delivery systems have existed for more than 2,000 years, the concept of the postage stamp is relatively new. Based on historical accounts, the modern stamp came about in the early- to mid-1800s.

One of the earliest and most rare postage stamps, the One-Cent Black on Magenta British Guiana stamp is scheduled to be auctioned off at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time Tuesday, June 17, 2014, in New York by Sotheby's.

It is estimated to be purchased for $10,000,000 to $20,000,000. No, you did not read that wrong. Ten to twenty million U.S. dollars.

As far as anyone knows, this is the only copy of this stamp to exist in the world. The entire history of the stamp is detailed on the Sotheby's website, along with a couple of short videos on the history of the British Guiana.

If you have an interest in the history of stamps, this is a fascinating story. I encourage you to visit the site and read the entire story.