Always First Class: The Pleasure of Personal Letters

Always First Class: The Pleasure of Personal Letters

Lois Barry, award-winning Professor English and Writing, has assembled an intriguing miscellany of letter-writing history, facts, quotations and writing suggestions. Nearly 200 quotations celebrate letter writing from Lord Byronâ€™s classic assertion that â€œLetter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company,â€ to Kate Spadeâ€™s modern appreciation, â€œItâ€™s uplifting to get a letterâ€•like an â€˜ooh!â€™ in your mail box.â€ Marianne Mooreâ€™s enthusiastic report, â€œI had a letter from Elisabeth [Bishop] a day or two ago, which Iâ€™m thinking of having tattooed on me â€¦â€ balances Anne Sextonâ€™s poignant relief, â€œIâ€™m glad you wrote to me. I thought I had died or something,â€ Ada Leverson cautions, â€œYou donâ€™t know a woman until you have received a letter from her,â€ while John Donne romantically declares â€œMore than kisses, letters mingle souls.â€ Chapters of quotations cover all aspects of correspondence: writing letters, receiving letters, saving letters, appreciating letters, waiting for letters, love letters and more. "Always First Class" combines entertaining reminders of old-fashioned letter writing for â€˜those of a certain ageâ€™ with persuasive suggestions that young technophiles explore this pleasantly â€˜retroâ€™ means of communication. Historical information ranges from the once-practical (On making vellum: â€œFirst, kill a goatâ€) to the economic ( In 1673 when 50 cents a day was a living wage in the American colonies, it cost $3.50 to send a letter from New York to Philadelphia). In addition to an appreciation of letter writing and a history of the social changes necessary before private personal letters could be exchanged, three chapters focus on various occasions and myriad topics for writing letters from â€œDo you remember when we â€¦ ?â€ to â€œWhere do you think weâ€™ll be ten years from now?â€ Readers are encouraged to go beyond texting, tweeting and e-mail to write real letters once again, to connect with distant family and old friends in a deeply personal way. The book closes with an invitation to submit copies of treasured personal letters for a forthcoming collection, A Friendly Exchange, Americaâ€™s Personal Letters.
Country USA
Brand Best Letters Press
Manufacturer Best Letters Press
Binding Paperback
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780982390405
ReleaseDate 0000-00-00

Country	USA
Brand	Best Letters Press
Manufacturer	Best Letters Press
Binding	Paperback
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780982390405
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

Always First Class: The Pleasure of Personal Letters

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