AUTHOR: Margaret Shepherd
STARTED: April 27, 2013
FINISHED: April 27, 2013
PAGES: 155
GENRE: Non-Fiction
FIRST SENTENCE: When I mention the handwritten note to any group of otherwise optimistic and intelligent people, I almost always hear someone sy, " it's a dying art."
SUMMARY: [From BN.com] When you receive the daily mail do you jump to open the handwritten envelopes first because you can’t wait to see who has written and why? Or do you hold those letters aside to savor and enjoy after you are done sorting your bills and tossing the junk mail? Whatever your approach, you no doubt recognize the importance of the note that comes in a unique envelope with distinct handwriting and possibly a decoration or two. Indeed, in an age when even birthday greetings are sent by e-mail, the personal letter is appreciated more than ever before.
For those who enjoy writing notes, or those who value doing so but find themselves intimidated by the task, acclaimed calligrapher Margaret Shepherd has created both an epistolary tribute and rescue manual. Just as you cherish receiving personal mail, you can take pleasure in crafting correspondence. Love, gratitude, condolences, congratulations–for every emotion and occasion, a snippet of heartfelt prose is included, sure to loosen the most stymied letter writer.
Not only providing inspiration for the content of the missives, The Art of the Handwritten Note gives thorough instruction in the specific details that give so many men and women the jitters when it comes to correspondence that can’t (or shouldn’t) be produced on a keyboard. From overcoming illegible penmanship to mastering the challenge of keeping straight margins, avoiding smeared ink, and choosing stationery that is appropriate but suits your style, this is a powerful little guide to conveying thoughts in an enduring–and noteworthy–way.
THOUGHTS: I love writing notecards, so this book was right up my alley. While Shepherd could come across as a bit pretentious, the book was quite good. I enjoyed that Shepherd broke down the steps of writing a good note, and even gave examples to help jump start the process. I also enjoy how Shepherd romanticized what it means to write notes by hand. While reading this book, I felt the urge to drop everything and start writing. I think that's a good thing.
RATING: 7/10 [Very Good]
Comments