I know you're out there

Last week’s poll confirmed that of the respondents, 62 percent had written a letter in the previous week and 25 percent had written one in the last month. That’s great news, considering that most of what comes in the mail is pre-printed junk. I am always thrilled when I see real handwriting in real ink on the front of an envelope, and that’s the piece that I dive for first when sorting through the plethora of bills and ads...and an offer for a discount on my cremation. Yup, that’s just what I got, and I promptly threw it away, since I want only the best when it comes to torching my deceased self. Also on the subject of mail, is anyone else at a moral crossroads when using the little return address labels that are sent free by organizations hoping for donations?

Judge not and write a lot...

I don’t think I can ever REALLY leave my job at the office. Sure, I have a life, but it’s a grammatically correct one. As an editor, I don’t have the freedom to throw around casual sentences that end in prepositions. I am judged—if only in my mind. And this often leads to some pretty stilted—though complete—sentences in some awkward situations. Does anyone really ever say “whom” in conversation anymore? I do. Does anyone really care that the term “hold forth” is not the same as “hold court,” though they are often (and irritatingly) used interchangeably? What a burden, but what a joy: I love language. The same holds true, I think, in my use of pens. When I speak with people at shows or via letters to the editor of Stylus, I am often asked when and how I use my ever-growing collection of pens. In other words, do I really practice what I preach in the magazine? The answer is, yes. I write letters and notes. I keep a journal, and I’ve recently gotten into writing as meditation. But, unlike my fear of ever dangling a participle in public, I don’t do this because of my job. I truly love pens and the personal communication they engender. Earlier this year, I gave a presentation about how to put one’s pens to good use. At one point, I said something like, “One thing is for certain: if you send a letter, you’ll get a letter in return.” Boy, did I get a bunch of letters, and it took me almost a week to answer every one. I may be grammatically pretentious and a little judgmental, but I’ll write you back.