>>>
>>> IT
>>> IT SEEMS LIKE WE 4@CAN'T COMMUNICATE WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY. WHAT ABOUT GOOD OLD-FASHIONED
LETTER WRITING.
>> YOU REMEMBER, PENS, PAPERS,
STAMPS4@. WHEN IS THE LAST TIME
YOU WROTE A 4@LETTER OR RECEIVE
ONE.
WE SPOKE WITH A WOMAN FROM A
MANE TRYING TO INSPIRE MORE
LETTER WRITING.
>> I LOVE TO WRITE LETTERS.
PEOPLE LOVE TO GET MAIL.
PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO WRITE
LETTERS OFTENTIMES THEY WORRY
ABOUT HANDWRITING AND WHAT TO
SAY4@.
>> CHRISTINE RICHARDS FIRST
BOOK AND HELP WITH THAT.
IT IS CALLED SNAIL MAIL4@4@4@4@
TO CURSIVE WRITING PRACTICE.
THE OTHER REASON SHE DECIDED TO
WRITE IT WAS TO HELP KIDS WITH
CURSIVE WRITING.
>> THEY DON'T TEACH IT IN A LOT
OF SCHOOLS ANYMORE.
I THINK IT IS A SHAME FOR A LOT
OF REASONS.
A LOT 4@OF OTHER PEOPLE ALSO
THINK IT IS A SHAME.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD
WA4@Y TO COMBINE IT IF PEOPLE
WANT TO IMPROVE HANDWRITING OR
WANT TO LEARN CURSIVE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY
CHILDREN WHO DON'T LEARN
CURSIVE ARE NOT ABLE TO READ.
THAT IS A PROBLEM. 4@
STUD4@IES, SOMETIMES WE THINK W
CAN LEARN AND TAKE NOTES BY
HAND, THAT KIND OF THING.4@ 4@
WE CAN SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT WE
HAVE IF WE PULL OUT A 4@PIECE O
PAPER AND PENCIL AND WRITE ABOU@
WHAT IS ON OUR MIND AND PROCESS
IT THAT WAY.
IF YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR 4@
HANDWRITING AND YOU DON'T KNOW
WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT, WRITE A
LETTER.
>> WHERE DID THIS LOVE OF
LETTER WRITING AND RECEIVING
START FOR YOU?
>> IT STARTED WHEN I WAS QUITE
YOUNG.
I WROTE TO 4@MY GRANDPARENTS4@,
BY CHOICE REALLY.
MY MOTHER SAT US DOWN WHEN WE
WERE YOUNG TO WRITE THANK YOU
NOTES FOR GIFTS WE RECEIVED
FROM THE HOLIDAYS.
I HAVE A VIVID MEMORY OF
SITTING ON THE STAIRCASE AND I
USE THE STEP ABOVE AS A DESK.
I REMEMBER THINKING, WE CAN 4@
WRITE SOMETHING4@? MY MOTHER GA
US THEIR ADDRESS AND I WAS
FASCINATED THAT WE COULD TAKE A
PIECE OF PAPER, WRITE 4@
SOMETHING, SE4@AL IT AND PUT AN
ADDRESS ON IT AND IT LOOKED LIK@
THEY WERE FIVE STATES AWAY.
IT WAS INTERESTING THAT IT
WOULD WORK.
>> SHE HAS PEN POWERS ALL OVER
THE WORLD.
MANY COME FROM HER WEBSITE AND
BLOG.
>>4@ 4@I HAVE A SERIES THAT SAY
DON'T KNOW WHAT 4@TO WRITE ABOU
I OFTEN SAY OPEN YOUR LETTER
WITH AN INTERESTING LINE4@. I
THINK THERE IS AN ICICLE THE
SIZE OF A BASEBALL HAT HANGING
FROM4@ MY 4@NEIGHBORS RIGHT.4@
I TOOK A WRAPPING FROM A BAG 4@
FLOUR AND4@ USE THE BACK AS
STAT4@IONARY.
SHE WROTE BACK TO 4@ME ON A 50
POUND BAG OF FLOUR.
THE PAPER FROM THAT.
IT WAS THE BEST COMEBACK.
YO4@U CAN HAVE FUN WITH IT.
PEOPLE GET NERVOUS ABOUT
WRITIN4@G LETTERS.
I LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO NOT
BE SO FORMAL WITH IT AND HAVE
SOME FUN WITH IT AND TO JUST BE
CREATIVE.
>> WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE
SO INTIMIDATED BY WRITING?
>> I THINK4@4@ PARTLY BECAUSE W
DON'T DO ENOUGH OF IT.
I OFTEN USE SCRATCH PAPER.
I AM A BIG FAN OF THAT.4@
THINK OF THE WORDS THAT MIGHT
COME TO MIND AS YOU ARE
THINKING ABOUT IT, WRITE THOSE
DOWN AND PUT THOSE INTO
SENTENCES.
THAT HELPS.
PEOPLE THINK THEY NEED TO BE
FUNNY OR HAVE SOMETHING AMAZING
TO SAY.
IF YOU DO, THAT'S GREAT.4@
JUST EVERY DAY THINGS ARE
INTERESTING TO OTHER PEOPLE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SOMETHING
WILD AND CRAZY THAT YOU WANT TO
WRITE ABOUT.
IT CAN BE SOMETHING LIKE I READ
ABOUT4@ THE CAT I SO.
THINK OF 4@IT LIKE A CONVERSATI
ACROSS THE KITCHEN TABLE.
IT IS THAT SIMPLE.
>> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST
POWERFUL LETTERS YOU HAVE
RECEIVED?
>> WHEN I FIRST STARTED I DID A
POSTER.
I WAS EXCITED AND I SENT IT TO
MY GRANDFATHER.
HE WROTE BACK TO ME AND SAID IT
WAS A NEWSPAPER THAT HE WORKED4
OUT HE SAID AT ONE TIME HE 4@WA
IN CHARGE OF BEING4@4@ A GRAPHI
DESIGNER.
HE WAS PROUD OF ME.
THAT WA4@S REALLY SPECIAL.
I STILL HAVE THAT LETTER.
>> HAVE YOU BEEN SURPRISED THAT
THE INTEREST FROM PEOPLE IN
LETTER WRITING?
>> YES.
I THINK4@4@4@ ESPECIALLY NOW WI
PANDEMIC, A NUMBER OF ARTICLES
HAVE BEEN IN THE "NEW 4@YORK
TIMES" AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS
HOW LETTER WRITING HAS TAKEN
OFF.
I LIKE TO SAY LETTER WRITING IS
ANOTHER WAY TO SPEND TIME WITH
PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY NOW.
YOU KNOW THAT PERSON THOUGHT
ABOUT YOU4@ WHEN THEY WROTE THA
LETTER.
WHEN I WRITE, I THINK ABOUT THE
PEOPLE I AM WRITING TOO.
YOU FEEL A LITTLE CLOSER TO
THEM WHILE YOU ARE WRITING.
THEN IT IS4@ FUN.
WHEN YOU GO TO THE POST OFFICE
OR BOX DOWN THE 4@STREET AND YO
DROP IT IN THE AIR, I CAN JUST
IMAGINE A FEW DAYS FROM NOW,
THEY WILL 4@GET IT.4@4@
WHAT WILL THAT BE LIKE.
THEN WHEN THEY DO GET IT, GIVES
YOU SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT,
THAT IS NICE.
>> FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO FEEL
INSPIRED TO GET OUT SOME
STATIONARY AND START WRITING,
4@ BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE TO
BEGIN, BEGIN WITH A THANK YOU
LETTER.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LONG,
JUST A FEW SENTENCES.
FOR A LINK TO HER BOOK, AND
HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE.
>> IF 4@THE IDEA OF WRITING FRO
THE PAPER FROM A BAG OF FLOUR,