In the last 20 years I have written more than ever before. In addition to this blog and countless e-mails, I must have churned out millions of words in my years as a translator, but I don't think I have written a letter worthy of the name since the mid- to late 'eighties. Looking back now, I think the demise of letter writing in my case coincided with the advent of the computer and thus the eclipse of handwriting; the only time I use a pen nowadays is to write a cheque, and even that is an increasingly rare occurrence.
At boarding school, time used to be set aside to allow us boys to write home. A thankless task you might think, but though I was doubtless a "good little boy", I cannot honestly say I awaited these sessions with dread. After school, I continued to write home and to friends fairly regularly at university and again in the years following my move to France in 1969. For much of the 1970s and even a little beyond I also kept a diary, so handwriting as well as letter writing held no fears for me.
But from about 1985, when I bought my Amstrad PCW and as I became more proficient on the keyboard and as my family began to take up more of my time, I fairly quickly abandoned letter writing altogether. In the process I have lost something, though I'm not sure that that "something" deserves to be called an art. I am referring to the way we effortlessly structured and edited a letter in our minds without benefit of word processor. There is a world of difference between this post, the product of fairly extensive re-writing and re-formulation, and my letters which flowed seamlessly from beginning to end without a single correction or amendment. The very thought of taking a pen and a blank sheet of paper and writing a letter today is enough to make me physically sick!
It is this ability to write "without repetition, deviation or hesitation" which we have lost today. Was this ability an art and is its loss something we should regret?
At boarding school, time used to be set aside to allow us boys to write home. A thankless task you might think, but though I was doubtless a "good little boy", I cannot honestly say I awaited these sessions with dread. After school, I continued to write home and to friends fairly regularly at university and again in the years following my move to France in 1969. For much of the 1970s and even a little beyond I also kept a diary, so handwriting as well as letter writing held no fears for me.
But from about 1985, when I bought my Amstrad PCW and as I became more proficient on the keyboard and as my family began to take up more of my time, I fairly quickly abandoned letter writing altogether. In the process I have lost something, though I'm not sure that that "something" deserves to be called an art. I am referring to the way we effortlessly structured and edited a letter in our minds without benefit of word processor. There is a world of difference between this post, the product of fairly extensive re-writing and re-formulation, and my letters which flowed seamlessly from beginning to end without a single correction or amendment. The very thought of taking a pen and a blank sheet of paper and writing a letter today is enough to make me physically sick!
It is this ability to write "without repetition, deviation or hesitation" which we have lost today. Was this ability an art and is its loss something we should regret?
One example of where you still have to put actual pen to actual paper and not just text or email is the 'Letter of Condolence'. And in fact at my advanced age (soon to be yours) the occasions multiply. As our sister so truly said: "WE are in the front line now".
ReplyDeleteSo best keep your quill sharpened.
At least I don't have to write thank you letters any more, seeing as how I no longer get any presents...
DeleteJulia and I didn't get a thank you note for that iPad you got for your b-day, a little less than 2 years ago, did we???
DeleteThat is very true and I promise to make amends with the iPad 4. Incidentally, as a matter of historical interest may I remind you that my birthday is September 23rd.
Delete"Was this ability an art and is its loss something we should regret?"
ReplyDeleteI'd say so. I have a huge stash of correspondence from the early 1980s, when I was writing from Boston to friends in NY (long-distance calls were expensive). So many stories there that never would've been told in e-mail. A good letter was, really, a kind of performance, an entertainment.
Does this mean that you no longer write letters today, Michael?
DeleteGreetings Barnaby
ReplyDeleteDoes not your hand writing deteriorate with age? Mine does which is one of the reasons that writing letters is for me to be avoided now where possible.
'Thank you' letters for family presents still seems preferred to say emails or phone calls by some but I'm not keen.
Even 'letters' to the press tend to be dispatched by email rather than pen and paper these days.
At the office too emails are more efficient than sending letters by Royal Mail. On the other hand sending bills for work done, seems more positive than attaching the invoice to an email so when things really matter maybe a letter rather than email is worth sending.
Incidentally (off topic) I see your blog only records mine up to the appointment of the new Pope just before Easter. That was a hugely important event in my humble opinion but is your blog record signifying that nothing subsequent to that is worth reading? You are probably right...
Hello Jerry,
DeleteThanks very much for pointing this out to me. I was a bit surprised not to see any update from you in recent weeks but now see you have actually posted quite often. The trouble is that, for the time being, I cannot correct the error on my own blog. However, I'm sure I'll sort it out sooner or later.
My hand writing has indeed deteriorated but to what extent this is due to advancing age and to what extent to lack of use I really don't know!
Still, we'll soon be able to dictate everything into our computer!