Canal Museum
Amsterdam, 2013
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Prompted by my new daily exercise - as prescribed in “The Artist’s Way” - of writing morning pages I have been thinking a lot lately about the art of writing - specifically about writing long hand.
It is a peaceful and thoughtful process as one scribes slowly across a blank page. Handwriting itself an art form, it is communication, it can be personal, it can be everlasting.
we write letters
we keep diaries
inventories
lists
thank you’s
declarations of love
- or at least we used to. What has replaced this art form now? What will be the outcome if there is no more hand written letters?
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Yesterday I was visiting a local historical home, the John Brown House, and at one point in the audio tour it was said that the “18th century was the pinnacle of letter writing”. That statement touched me and got me thinking more about “writing by hand”.
We know so much about the everyday past through personal histories; letters and diaries. Bits of life left behind for us - we see the handwriting, we infer from their words - we can create a picture of that person, that time, we hear their voice.
How will we be remembered? Will our blogs exist longer than us? Will they mean anything? Will we be remembered only through our Facebook posts or tweets……… God, I hope not.
Who will know my handwriting?
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Final letter, 1955
John Rossi to his daughter (my mother) Rosemarie Rossi Spadafora
Evocative. I found letters like this in my father's belongings. Letters from his grandfather to his mother. Beautiful handwriting also. Take a look at The Writer's Almanac on line for daily inspiration as well. It has really broadened my awareness… Each day a celebration of writing.
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