I love handwriting, and fine pens, and stationery, and sending and receiving letters, as is probably evident by my own epistolary reading and the Postal Reading Challenge!But today is Handwriting Day, and I want to celebrate the joys of handwriting as well. It's wonderful to see someone's handwriting in a letter; I feel like it's as individual as their voice. And I don't want to lose that, with the disappearance of cursive instruction in schools, and the tendency we all have these days to communicate online (says the woman writing a blog...) Nonetheless, I still handwrite a lot, in letters, notes, my journal, and when I attempt to create fiction/poetry or anything of that sort. I love trying out new pens and new calligraphic techniques -- learning the shapes of various alphabets is enjoyable and relaxing for me. Did you know that the very word "calligraphy" comes from Greek, from kallos "beauty" and graphẽ "writing"? That's a lovely thought.
Over at So Many Books, Stefanie has shared a wonderful post full of fabulous Handwriting Day links -- you must check it out. And if you're interested primarily in letters, don't forget to sign up for A Month of Letters, a really entertaining project created by writer Mary Robinette Kowal. It runs for the full month of February, and it is free to join up. If you want to get a letter from me during LetterMo, just pop over to my Postable account and leave your details.
Also, if you like sending quirky mail, check out this very cool project that somebody shared with me on Twitter recently: the P.O. Box Clock. Send in a postcard and have it added to the clock!
Hope you all have had an enjoyable cursive-filled -- not curse filled -- day.
What a lovely photo those pen nibs are! I recently learned how to change nibs on my Lamy Safari and take apart my Noodler's Ahab flex pen. It was so much fun! I wish I could take apart all my pens like that.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could too! I have a Lamy Joy but I've never thought of checking into pens that can change nibs...hmmm. I love my Stypen but it's getting old & a bit leaky these days :(
DeleteI love letter-writing. I mostly do postcards because I enjoy receiving them back. :) I am looking forward to February!
ReplyDeleteWhenever I think about postcards I mysteriously think of you :)
DeleteI didn't know there was a day dedicated to Handwriting! I also love the personality and intimacy of handwriting. Thank you for this post, Melwyk.
ReplyDeleteYes indeed! Created by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association :) But I still love it.
DeleteA wonderful celebration, handwriting and letters. I have a wonderful friend I still write to and the last letter I received from her started with a watercolour painting of the waterfall view from the lodge where she lives and works, in the South Island of New Zealand. Just beautiful. I must get to and reply now!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing correspondence that sounds like! Lucky you to have such an artistic friend to write back and forth with.
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