Correspondence

My book club met last week to discuss Virginia Evans’ epistolary novel, The Correspondent. We delved into the protagonist’s emotional immaturity, her estranged relationship with her daughter, and how grief and guilt can shape a person. But we also discussed the act of corresponding by hand on paper versus texting or email.

There continues to be research on how writing by hand differs from digital communication, and so far results suggest that writing by hand improves memory retention and reading ability. For most of us, though, when we receive a letter or write one we’re not thinking about how the act of writiing by hand impacts our neurological state.

A book club member discussed the letters she received from her son during his basic training and how much they mean to her. In these letters, he shared his vulnerablity and doubt as to whether he was making the best life choice, but the letters themselves are a physical token of his presence. He touched the pen to the paper; the words came from the movement of his hands and fingers. There is meaning in that aspect that typing keys on a device don’t match.

While I am not a letter writer, I do have a fondness for postcards. The funny thing is, I don’t send them when I am on a trip. I always purchase postcards from places that I visit, but I send them once I am home. I mail them to elderly people from my church, students as a thank you for holiday gifts, or friends to say hello. I don’t usually have much to say, so the limited space is ideal, but there is also something about the illustrations or photographs on the front that make postcards much more fun to me than sending a letter.

My fascination with postcards also extends to decorating. In my basement, I have framed postcards from friends’ travels dating back over 30 years. The images are beautiful or interesting, and it is nice to have a memory people who have been in my life over the years.

We typically talk about writing as a larger act that goes beyond the private, into the world of publication, so I’m curious about people’s private writing lives. Are you a correspondent? How does this aspect of a writing life feed your soul?