Receiving envelopes and postcards with ink-smudged handwriting scrawled across the front or back is one of my greatest pleasures. The correspondence between Henry Miller and Anais Nin or Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera gets me delirious. And Letters of Note is a bible of dispatches I could worship straight through to dawn.
Letter writing is a beautiful art so seldom practiced today.
Which is why I am launching a little project: BY PEN AND POST
If you are keen to participate, and once I’ve accumulated some names, you’ll be randomly matched with two people – one who you will send a letter and another who will write a letter to you.
The letters are a return to human connection, before emojis and memes took away soul, before we could pretend to know a person after just a few clicks on Facebook. Ah… the romance of a handwritten note!
Here’s how it works…
1. Send me your mailing address and your name or a pseudonym.
I get it, maybe it’s weird to give a stranger your name and address. If it makes you uncomfortable, create a pseudonym or tell me to only share your first name. Or just be you – real name and all.
2. I’ll randomly match names. The old hat-and-paper method.
3. You’ll get an email from me with your pen pal’s “name” and address. This is who you’ll write to. But someone else will be sending you a letter.
4. You have 10 days to write and post a letter or a postcard or a lock of your hair (deeply reconsider that last one before you send it). Please keep these handwritten. The idea is to step away from screens and keys.
Write about your day, life, fears, loves, dreams, encouragement… anything. Be as honest and raw or lighthearted and friendly as you please. Write a short story, pen a poem… whatever you want. Again, not a lock of hair or anything else super pervy or racist or sexist or otherwise unpleasant.
*PLEASE follow through with your letter. Don’t leave your recipient hanging.
5. In 1-3 weeks (depending on where your letter is coming from), you’ll receive something in the post.
6. If you happened to write your return address on the initial letter you sent, maybe you’ll receive a reply. Or maybe you’ll feel compelled to write back to whomever wrote to you (if there’s an address, that is). Don’t feel obligated to leave a return address… completely up to you.
DEADLINE: If you want in, please email me your details by Friday, January 18th.
Tell your friends!
Email any questions to me or write them in the comments below.
Fine print: I promise not to share any addresses or actual names without permission or use your address for anything other than By Pen and Post. (Unless you want to be added to my holiday card list – in which case, let me know.)
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