random babbling about writing

[celticdragonfly]

Warning, I am in a very rambly mood. Which is generally good, it's mostly when I'm feeling cheerful about life that I ramble the most. At the moment I'm thinking over the subject of fountain pens, and the joy of writing with same. I didn't find anywhere to get a pen, but was looking at ordering online.

And now I'm wondering if perhaps I shouldn't bother. I was talking to someone and mentioned writing a letter to someone else, who had never responded. So of course I followed the usual social rule, that if someone you've written to doesn't write back or otherwise indicate that they want you to keep writing, stop. And I'm realizing it's been a long, long time since I've had anybody I could write to. I used to keep up regular mail correspondences. And that was the greatest fun of having the good pen and such. (I look back at letters from a very young age, before my pen snobbery came up, and ow.)

Eventually there was enough volume that I learned to type. And then eventually we came to the internet, and now it's all email. But something went missing with that.

An actual on paper letter is a precious thing to me, whether it be typed or handwritten. Deep in boxes, in the study perhaps or out in the garage, I still keep letters from an old relationship from many years ago. Heck, I even have, in two different cases, letters that I wrote to another person, that came back to me somehow, that I cherish anyway. I'm no longer in touch with these people, the memories are a mess, but I keep the letters anyway. Actually, three people; when my grandmother died and I helped go through her house, I kept the letters I'd sent her.

I suspect in my desire to write letters to others I am being like the man that Miles describes in the beginning of Lois Bujold's book Memory [1], who gave everyone else fruitcakes for Winterfair because he loved them so much, and was so disappointed that nobody else would ever give them to him.

My relatives don't seem interested in writing with me. My parents and I, of course, correspond by email these days, plus I'll pick up the phone and call them often. (Part of the guilt-free joy of unlimited long distance!) My more distant relatives don't seem interested, I'll send them letters and such, but in general they do not respond. I used to keep a correspondence going with G-Aunt Nancy, but she's no longer up to it, eye trouble I believe. If I wrote to her, someone would read it to her, and she'd probably enjoy that. I could at least write to her about the babies. Perhaps I will do that.

But I shall have to give up wanting to have the fruitcake. selenite might be willing to write to me, but it's silly to expect him to, when he's living here, and when he's at work he can easily email or IM me.

Oh well. I suspect it comes from reading too many historical books.

[1]Memory, the one book I apparently just need to memorize - because it's not available in ebook form, so I can't just pull it up and copy and paste!

EDIT: I have been corrected. selenite came back downstairs and read this. He is much farther along in the task of memorizing Memory, and told me that the Barrayaran in the story kept giving everyone liver pates, because he loved them so. Not fruitcakes. Ugh, liver, no wonder.

Comments

[sraun]

I'm a fountain fan (maybe freak) myself. I refuse to use ballpoint pens, and will grudgingly use a rollerball.

I'll use them for a quick note - the Levenger Pocket Briefcase and notecards are really a joy to use!

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

I hate ballpoint pens, but can tolerate a good rollerball.

Levenger, ooooh. That's serious Pen Porn. We used to get their catalog. We were looking at their site today, and selenite put me on their mailing list. I can't afford to buy their pens. But oooooooh.

Question would be who could I send a notecard TO. I mean, I suppose this fall I could use them to stick notes in Brendan's lunchbox, but it hardly seems worth it.

[sraun]

More serious pen porn - http://www.joon.com/, http://www.fahrneyspens.com, http://www.fountainpenhospital.com/, http://www.avalonpens.com/, http://www.pendemonium.com/, http://www.swisherpens.com/. The first two have really gorgeous paper catalogs they'll send you.

I use a fountain pen and a nice quality 3x5 note card for taking notes all the time - meeting notes at work, whatever. They also make nice business card substitutes - mine have my name and e-mail address at the top, and I put some text on them for people I'm passing information along to.

[toraks.livejournal.com]

I totally know what you mean about writing letters and how it never happens anymore.

I save my emails, but it's just not the same thing at all.

I definitely grew up writing letters and have kept all the ones sent to me. I started writing email in my sophomore year of college, and I think that's when the letters ended.

But my first Christmas break from college (only 5-6 weeks?), I wrote letters to a bunch of my new-made friends and got replies before I went back!! And since one of them I had a very big "thing" for, there was nothing so exciting.

I didn't get into the fountain pens much later, but I loved to have neat colored pens (pink ink!) and pretty stationery.

You can't hold an email. You can't look at it and think "he held that and made the effort to write something on it and pay for postage and stick it in the mail"

Email is wonderful, but I do mourn the loss of letter-writing. I guess I haven't written one for real in about 10 years.

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

Maybe you could try a situation where you _have_ to send paper letters--like one of those adopt-a-soldier programs, or writing to prisoners, or orphaned children or something. No or limited internet access, plus probably some authority figure pre-reading your letters (not a cheery thought, I know) means it's paper and pen or nothing. Problem is, you might not get much correspondence _back_. But it's a thought.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's it. Being able to hold a letter, to carry it around, means something. And it means you mattered to somebody. It's a good feeling. I miss it.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

The situation I mentioned in my post, where I wrote a paper letter and never heard back, was to an overseas soldier - not one adopted from a list, but one I know somewhat. I never heard back, and haven't been able to summon up the will to write again. Part of me thinks I should just keep writing anyway, but most of me figures he doesn't want to read 'em. It's a swimming upstream feeling.

[nlbarber]

[1]Memory, the one book I apparently just need to memorize - because it's not available in ebook form, so I can't just pull it up and copy and paste!


But it is available as an ebook, finally: Memory at Fictionwise. I love having it on the PDA, so I can go read those special scenes whenever I want...

[technomom]

Those are DANGEROUS links!

[technomom]

I've never been a very good correspondent, so I have little excuse for fancy pens and pretty paper. I used to have calligraphy pens because I just like them. I've never had any delusions of learning to use them as intended!

BUT - every year, when Katie goes to camp, Sam and I write a note for her for each day. We drop them off at the camp post office when we take her to camp, along with a gift package of some sort. We write the delivery date for each one on the outside of the envelope.

One year Sam did tarot readings for each day. That was SO cool!

Anyway - now I'm lusting after stationery, and I have an excuse because she goes to camp on 7/25, so those links are especially dangerous.

Damn - writing the notes before the day she's to leave. That'll be a change :-)

[toraks.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, though, there's a somewhat similar feeling to seeing someone's email message in your inbox.

At least for me there is. Not as good as the letter, but close! :-)

[sraun]

{deep bow}

Thank you, m'lady! It's nice to get confirmation of one's beliefs.