The Art of Letter Writing - is it Lost?

Throughout the ages, the writing of letters has been not only the chief means of communication but also documentation of historical events. It was a letter that helped persuade King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to finance the voyages of an ambitious young explorer named Christopher Columbus.

The vast number of letters in the Thomas Jefferson collection gives us insight into not only events surrounding the founding of our country but also everyday life at his beloved Virginia estate, Monticello.

The precarious nature of war has inspired volumes of letters from the lonely battlefields to home and back again. The loving words have provided comfort on both fronts.

And love! Perhaps nothing embraces the art of letter writing as completely as the love letter. The poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote to her beloved Robert: "My heart was full when you came here today. Henceforward I am yours for everything." We can imagine that Robert's own heart was full as well after receiving such a message.

The Dutch master Johannes Vermeer romanticized letter writing with a number of beautiful paintings featuring women writing or receiving letters. A Lady Writing, which hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., features a woman at her writing desk, sunlight streaming through the windows, illuminating her task.

In this day of e-mailing, voice mail and text messaging, we may wonder if letter writing has been lost in the busyness of our lives. Fortunately, we find that as long as we have pens and paper and sentiments to express, we have all we need to practice this age-old art.

How do you begin practicing the art of letter writing? The first step is to choose stationery. With so many choices available, it becomes a matter of personal taste. Some may choose the classic look of an embossed monogram on vellum paper. Others opt for delicate floral patterns or scalloped borders. Whatever your choice, remember it will be responsible for giving the reader his or her first impression of your correspondence.

For an exquisitely elegant presentation, consider using calligraphy. The word calligraphy is from the Greek "kalli" and "graphia" which literally means "beautiful writing."

With its roots firmly in the past, the art form is enjoying somewhat of a revival. It is not necessary to be an artist to master calligraphy but it does require patience and attention to detail. Practice on scrap paper until you are happy with the results, and your letter will become curling and swirling masterpieces.

The art of letter writing is a treasured tradition worth continuing. Why not polish your writing talents by penning a newsy letter to your Aunt Polly? Or perhaps hone your calligraphy skills in a note to a dear old friend. It is easy to get started. Just pick up your pen and begin.

If you would like to learn the art of calligraphy here are some tips to follow. This is how I learned.

Calligraphy is not an expensive pastime, and you do not need many materials to learn it and use it. Here is what you basically need.

Graph paper or lined paper (to learn on)
Tissues
Newspaper or a desk blotter
Pen cleaner or water (I use water)
Ink (fountain pen or drawing ink)
Pen and 2 nibs: Either: a fountain pen (Platignum or Osmiroid), and 2 nibs, broad and medium or 1 pen holder and 2 Speedball nibs (C-2 and C-4 if you are right-handed, LC-2 and LC-4 if you are left-handed)

Keep your ink, extra paper, and water and tissues handy but out of the way of your writing hand.

Lay the newspaper or blotter on your writing surface to protect it in easy of an accident. Your writing paper is on top of this.

If you are using a pen holder, nib and ink:

Put the nib into the pen so that it fits securely.
Dip the point into the ink so that the ink comes about halfway up the point.
Dab the filled point onto a tissue, getting rid of some of the ink, so that you don't get too much ink on the paper. Soon you will be able to tell just how much ink you can dab off and still have enough left on the pen to write several letters.

If you are using a fountain pen and ink:

Fill the pen with ink made for a fountain pen, such as Sheaffer, Pelican or Parker. Do not use any brand of India ink. There are special inks made for calligraphy. They are very strong and flow slowly for a sharp line, but tend to clog up in the pen when the pen is not flushed out often with water.
When you need to change nibs or ink, clean out the pen first with pen cleaner and/or water.
Keep the cap on the pen and carry it with the cap up so the pen doesn't leak.
Be careful not to injure the point. Don't put too much pressure on it as you write.
Wipe off the point gently after each use before you put on the cap. Lint from the paper may become stuck in the nib, causing the ink to spread out too much on the paper.

Holding the pen at the correct angle:

The angle is very important. If you don't keep your pen point at a consistent, correct angle as you write, your letters will look incorrect, even if you form them correctly. Right-handed people should keep their right elbow away from their body. Left-handed writers should keep their elbow close to their body, and should avoid hooking their hand. The top of the pen should point towards the right shoulder no matter what hand you use and you have to hold your pen at a 45-degree angle.

The most important thing to remember when you are learning calligraphy is to not hold your pen to tight, relax and let your natural creativity flow!