{"product_id":"symes-letter-writer-a-guide-to-modern-correspondence-about-almost-every-imaginable-subject-of-daily-life-with-odes-to-desktop-ephemera-and-select-9780593235102","title":"Syme's Letter Writer: A Guide to Modern Correspondence about (Almost) Every Imaginable Subject of Daily Life, with Odes to Desktop Ephemera and Select","description":"\u003cb\u003eA literary jaunt in praise of the lost art of letter writing that explores a cultural history and the undeniable thrill of old-school correspondence--from journalist and cultural critic Rachel Syme.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eInspired by a famed correspondence handbook penned by a persnickety Victorian who had strong opinions on how to lick a stamp, cultural critic Rachel Syme has rewritten the staid letter-writing rules of yore for the letter writers of today. Syme insists you must stuff your envelopes with flat frivolities (and includes guides for how to press flowers and make a matchbook-mark), teaches you how to perfume a parcel, and encourages you to cultivate your own ritual around keeping up with your correspondence. Even if you have never sent a hand-written letter before, this book will make you want to begin - and will show you just how to get started. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eImmerse yourself in this epistolary bric-a-brac celebrating the intimate (whimsical! expressive!) art of written correspondence, covering every part of the process from courting and keeping a pen pal, down to buying the best nibs for your refurbished vintage fountain pen. As you read fragments of letters and journals from storied literary figures--Zelda Fitzgerald, Willa Cather, Pat Parker, Vita Sackville-West, Djuna Barnes, Octavia Butler, to name a few--you can take note of how to write about the weather without being a total snooze, how to write a letter like a poet, and how to infuse your correspondence with gossip and glamorous mystique. You'll learn about the magic of hotel stationery, the thrill of sending postcards, and the importance of choosing a signature paper that captures your essence. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAfter all, the words you write on paper and send to another person, are precious, offering comfort, shared sorrow, cathartic rage, hard-earned insight, refreshing strangeness, absurd silliness, understanding, delight, commiseration, and beauty--and often all of those things all mixed up at the same time. Letter-writing is meant to be enjoyed--so pick up a fountain pen and get writing!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Rachel Syme\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Clarkson Potter Publishers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/28\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.65lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 7.50w x 0.90d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780593235102","brand":"Ripon Bookstore","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44150213050413,"sku":"9780593235102","price":33.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0681\/0501\/1245\/files\/img_ffb6757c-fce8-42a2-87a4-32f0612eb3c7.jpg?v=1757312550","url":"https:\/\/riponbookstore.com\/products\/symes-letter-writer-a-guide-to-modern-correspondence-about-almost-every-imaginable-subject-of-daily-life-with-odes-to-desktop-ephemera-and-select-9780593235102","provider":"Ripon Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}