For the Love of Letters

The Joy of Slow Communication

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Language Arts, Communication, Fiction & Literature, Essays & Letters
Cover of the book For the Love of Letters by John O'Connell, Atria Books/Marble Arch Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John O'Connell ISBN: 9781476718811
Publisher: Atria Books/Marble Arch Press Publication: January 1, 2013
Imprint: Atria Books/Marble Arch Press Language: English
Author: John O'Connell
ISBN: 9781476718811
Publisher: Atria Books/Marble Arch Press
Publication: January 1, 2013
Imprint: Atria Books/Marble Arch Press
Language: English

Remember letters? They were good, weren’t they? The thrill of receiving that battered envelope, all the better for the wait . . . In this richly entertaining book, paper geek John O’Connell puts forward a passionate case for the value of letter-writing in a distracted, technology-obsessed world. Drawing on great examples from the past, he shows that the best letters have much to teach us – Samuel Richardson’s ‘familiar letters’; Wilfred Owen’s outpourings to his mother; the sly observational charms of Jane Austen. And in doing so he reminds us of the kind of letters we would all write if we had the time – the perfect thank-you letter, a truly empathetic condolence letter, and of course the heartfelt declaration of love. Was there a Golden Age of Letters? Why is handwriting so important? Can we ever regain the hallowed slowness of the pre-Twitter era? In answering these questions O’Connell shows how a proper letter is an object to be cherished, its crafting an act of exposure which gives shape and meaning to the chaos of life.

***

‘The nib touches the paper. And instinctively I follow the old formula: address in top right-hand corner; date just beneath it on the left-hand side. My writing looks weird. I hand-write so infrequently these days that I’ve developed a graphic stammer - my brain’s way of registering its impatience and bemusement. What are you doing? Just send an email! I haven’t got all night . . .’

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Remember letters? They were good, weren’t they? The thrill of receiving that battered envelope, all the better for the wait . . . In this richly entertaining book, paper geek John O’Connell puts forward a passionate case for the value of letter-writing in a distracted, technology-obsessed world. Drawing on great examples from the past, he shows that the best letters have much to teach us – Samuel Richardson’s ‘familiar letters’; Wilfred Owen’s outpourings to his mother; the sly observational charms of Jane Austen. And in doing so he reminds us of the kind of letters we would all write if we had the time – the perfect thank-you letter, a truly empathetic condolence letter, and of course the heartfelt declaration of love. Was there a Golden Age of Letters? Why is handwriting so important? Can we ever regain the hallowed slowness of the pre-Twitter era? In answering these questions O’Connell shows how a proper letter is an object to be cherished, its crafting an act of exposure which gives shape and meaning to the chaos of life.

***

‘The nib touches the paper. And instinctively I follow the old formula: address in top right-hand corner; date just beneath it on the left-hand side. My writing looks weird. I hand-write so infrequently these days that I’ve developed a graphic stammer - my brain’s way of registering its impatience and bemusement. What are you doing? Just send an email! I haven’t got all night . . .’

More books from Essays & Letters

Cover of the book Damaged Goods: A LIttle Messed Up, And A Tiny Bit Broken by John O'Connell
Cover of the book Monkeyluv by John O'Connell
Cover of the book McSweeney's Issue 46 by John O'Connell
Cover of the book Storie di pipa ovvero la pipa nella letteratura italiana by John O'Connell
Cover of the book L’eau de la mémoire, Rêver au théâtre de théâtre, Amour, vertige de la non/présence, Huit sonnets de Shakespeare (traduction Jean Gillibert) Poèmes by John O'Connell
Cover of the book Letters From Joseon by John O'Connell
Cover of the book Wie a zegt by John O'Connell
Cover of the book Frederick Douglass and Herman Melville by John O'Connell
Cover of the book Goethes Briefe und Aufsätze by John O'Connell
Cover of the book The Daughters of the Late Colonel and other stories by John O'Connell
Cover of the book 无聊干物语 by John O'Connell
Cover of the book Sprouting of Mysticism by John O'Connell
Cover of the book Letters to Jenny by John O'Connell
Cover of the book Tra parentesi by John O'Connell
Cover of the book The Three Battles of Wanat by John O'Connell
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy