One of these days, I am going to take my courage in both hands and ferret out the letters I wrote home from France for about 8 years until my mother died in 1977. Not so much for the content of the letters, though I might find that interesting too, as for the way I structured the letters.
You see, I can't remember looking upon these letters as a chore, a duty to perform. I don't recall planning or mapping out what I wanted to say beforehand. I just sat down and started to write. By way of contrast, and although you might find this hard to believe, I nowadays spend quite a lot of time reformulating and adapting the posts in this blog.
Is this a throwback to my years as a translator or is it indicative of something deeper, of an art or a skill that we have lost?
As I get back into the letter-writing habit, I’m finding that it’s not like getting back on a bicycle. Writing a letter feels far less natural than it once did. I now jot down notes first, and I can’t remember ever doing that years ago.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, Michael. Do you have any explanation for your need to take notes? And what prompted your decision to get back into the letter-writing habit?
DeleteI think you might find it very interesting if you can find those old letters.
ReplyDeleteYour blog encouraged me to find the file where I have those you wrote to me and there is no sign of strain or "must write to her" about them!.
I think, on the whole, my grammar was much better when I used my pen. Now, though I do still send emails of letter length I think they are very slipshod and would benefit from some of that reformulating and adapting! Time to think, do you see?
I've also recently come across my old fountain pen! In fact the shorthand fountain pen I "won" when I reached some extraordinary speed which would lead to my passing out nowadays. It's even got my name engraved on it ......
Tried to leave a response to your question, Barnaby, but I'm not sure that it got through. About notes: I just jot down things I want to be sure to mention. What got me started again with letters was listening to an interview with Shaun Usher (of the blog Letters of Note).
ReplyDeleteWere you ever an avid (or an adept) typist, Michael? Have you heard of an app called Hanxwriter, created by Tom Hanks?
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