Sunday, October 18, 2015

The Art of the Handwritten Note by Margaret Shepherd

The Art of the Handwritten Note by Margaret Shepherd

I picked up this book on a recent trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  While there, I fully immersed myself in the social etiquette of the early 20th century.  I found myself dreaming of a simpler place and time.  Browsing through the bookstore, I was drawn to The Art of The Handwritten Note.

Writing notes as a child to my grandparents is what built the foundation for my writing life.  I still love to write notes, but as a society we've opted to replace personal interactions with short snippets of conversation posted publicly on Facebook and Twitter for the whole world to read and scrutinize.

The Art of the Handwritten Note is not a stuffy narrative about manners.  The author makes it clear that the handwritten note is still alive and well in our high tech 21st century.  A note that arrives in our mailbox is first, a surprise, and then a personal interaction between two people.  It's not publicly posted online for strangers to see.  It's special.  And as human beings we will always adore being made to feel special.

Ms. Shepherd writes of how to choose stationery, a pen, ink.  She gives us do's and don't's for all kinds of correspondence.  She asks us to practice what we want to say and not be intimidated by handwriting that may not be perfect.  By sitting down and taking the time to write a personal note, we are creating a singular experience for the recipient as well as one for ourselves.

I know that posting a review online about a book on sending handwritten notes is quite contradictory.  But maybe if we all spent some time letting our friends and family know what they mean to us, this world would be a happier and more peaceful place to be. We'd all be feeling special and our mailboxes would be filled with joy.


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