The Scene
Letter writing: A dying art
Whitney Siders
As I was mass-deleting email messages in an act of procrastination, I came to the realization that emails are incredibly disposable. After removing hundreds of messages in a matter of minutes, I was struck with another realization: the art of letter writing is dying. This sudden awareness may seem fairly obvious, but I believe it is valid to recognize. We don’t actually view emails as though each one is a letter from one individual to another. However, I guess that isn’t entirely true, because just as messages can be deleted by mass amounts, they can also be sent in this manner.
Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly appreciate the convenience of email. In a matter of seconds we can communicate with someone on the opposite side of the planet. But I have to ask, what is the value of this means of communication on a personal level? Furthermore, will letter writing become extinct?
Though a letter takes at least a couple of days to travel from the hands of the writer to the hands of the recipient, there is an intimate connection that overcomes the obstacles of time and distance. The arrival of a letter is meaningful. The physical existence of the piece of paper will remain as you tuck it away somewhere so that you can revisit it later. Granted we may hide a letter so well that even we can’t find it, but we will unexpectedly stumble upon it someday.
An email, on the other hand, is impermanent. A message can be obliterated with the press of a button. A paper letter can be torn into pieces by hand if you wish to destroy it, but even this act is more intentional than simply dragging an email into the recycling bin with the press of a button and the swipe of a mouse. After all, how valuable can something be if it can be destroyed so easily?
This fleeting nature of email also prevents the messages from serving as concrete records. If properly organized and saved, emails can be used as a useful reference, but this is still different than written accounts. Consider the Declaration of Independence or letters that have been written during wars and sent back and forth overseas. If these accounts had been typed in a uniform print, part of the appeal would be gone. We cherish the craftsmanship of the writing.
Letter writing is indeed an ancient art. Letters writing is deliberate and each one is crafted by hand. Handwriting has character, and you can ensure that the letter was written to you specifically. On the other hand, the most personal element of an email message may be emoticons, and it is often unclear whether a message was sent to you, or to fifty others as well.
Though you probably don’t check your mailbox nearly as often as you check your email account, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy receiving a written letter. Though you swiftly toss the pizza coupon and “Sell your used books” information slip into the recycle bin, the written letter is savored. If you don’t receive letters very often, it isn’t too late to revitalize the craft of letter writing. If you send a letter once in a while, you will probably receive one.