Letter Writers Alliance

Sincerely Yours, the LWA

Thus ends 2019, the Year of Postbox, and also to the end of open memberships to the Letter Writers Alliance and matches through the penpal swap. We began back in 2007 with no conception that we would range so wide or continue this long. We have over 15,000 card-carrying members around the globe. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has added more letter writing to their lives. We couldn't be prouder of what this has become and we treasure the time we've shared with you. The shop will continue open until mid 2020 and on July 31, we will be sealing the envelope on all business here. Thank you again. We are so, so lucky. You can read in depth about our timeline for closure here.

Here are some helpful links for other pen pal resources and letter writing groups, as well as some basic information links. Sincerely Yours, Kathy & Donovan, Co-Founders

Pen Pals

• Postcrossing https://www.postcrossing.com/ 

• International Geek Girls Pen Pals Club http://geekgirlpenpals.com/

• Secret Society of Letter Writers (Kids Only) http://www.mrboddington.com/sslw/

• League of Extraordinary Pen Pals http://www.extraordinarypenpals.com/

• Worldwide Snail Mail Pen Pals https://www.facebook.com/groups/267019763720515/

• Fountain Pen Pals https://www.reddit.com/r/FountainPenPals/

• r/PenPals https://www.reddit.com/r/penpals/

• The Letter Exchange https://www.letter-exchange.com/

• Pen Pal World http://www.penpalworld.com/index.asp

• The Jane Austen Letter Writing Society http://janeaustenletterwritingsociety.blogspot.com/

• The Victorian Letter Writers Guild http://victorianletterwritersguild.blogspot.com/

• International Union of Mail-Artists http://iuoma-network.ning.com/

• Month of Letters https://lettermo.com/

• Swap-bot http://www.swap-bot.com/

• Interpals https://www.interpals.net/

• Epistolia https://epistolia.com/

• Black & Pink https://www.blackandpink.org/penpal-newsletter

• Solitary Watch https://solitarywatch.org/about-lifelines/

Letter Writing Groups

• San Francisco Correspondence Co-Op
• Portland Correspondence Co-Op
• London Letters Club
• CLE Writers Club
• Colorado Correspondence Coalition
• Little Rock Letter Writers League
• New York City Letter Writers Society
• East Bay Letter Writing Club
• L.A. Pen Pal Club
• Regional Assembly of Text Letter Writing Club
• Tampa Bay Letter Writing Club
• Wonderpens Letter Writing Club
• Wonderfair Letter Writing Club
• Publetters
• Dead Letter Club
• Christchurch Letter Writers Society
• Toronto Letter Writers Society
• AZ Snail Mail Society
• Coastside Letter Writers Society
• PS Correspondence Society
• The Paper Mouse Letter Writing Nights
• The Snail Mail Revolution
• S F Correspondence Society  
• Melbourne Letter Writers Society
• Poulsbo Epistolary Club
• A T L Letter Writers Society
• Lonestar Letter Writers 
• Spokane Correspondence Club
• Marfa Correspondence Society
• Utah Letter Writing Club
• Marin Correspondence Society 
• Correspondence Club 
• Laramie Letter Writing Community
• Letter Writing Club K S
• San Diego Letter Writers 
• Lonely Pencil Club
• Tampa Bay Letter Writers

NON-Official*Membership Group on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/191532741179993/

Directory of Letter Writing Societies - https://lwsdirectory.com/

Current Postage Rates - https://www.stamps.com/usps/current-postage-rates/

Postal News - https://www.postalnews.com/

USPS Zip Code Lookup - https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action

Postage Price Calculator - https://postcalc.usps.com/

Mailbox Map - http://www.mailboxmap.com/

*Kathy and Donovan do not use Facebook. This is a group administered by past members of the Alliance with the understanding that they are not official and their actions are not those of the Letter Writers Alliance. 

Resolve to Write

If you're looking for a more purposeful New Year, consider adding political letter writing to your agenda. I am constantly impressed and inspired by Handwritten Revolution and their work. There's no better time than now and it couldn't be easier, really. Plus, if you're local to Portland, OR you may join them for a monthly social. #mailtheworldabetterplace

Thank You Note Tips

Originally posted way back in 2007 by Kathy, this information remains perennial. 'Tis the time for writing thank you letters and notes. Although most of the thank yous you will be writing this time of year will be regarding a present, included other types of thank you letter formats as well so this can be a one-stop reference for you.

A thank you doesn't need to be long at all, in fact, brevity in this case is good. It should be sincere and express your appreciation without any ass-kissing. Obviously, saying anything rude or harsh will pretty much destroy your purpose for writing the letter.

Thank You format:
- State what the thank you is for
-Mention the appropriateness/how you are using it/how it has helped you
- Be pleasant and brief
- If appropriate, offer something in return

A great key to showing your gratitude in a thank you is to express how the object or info is being used.

Some examples:
The painting looks so wonderful in our living room
The gift certificate will be of great use in decorating my new apartment
I would have never heard of the exhibit otherwise
Your suggestion led to a fabulous job
The information is exactly what I need for my thesis

For those who love example letters, I found some from a book published in the 90s that you might find helpful, even though they are more focused to business (the ones with * are ones I made up):

Gift
John,
   You have that rare ability to select just the right gift. The puzzle you sent kept me up half the night - I'll get it yet.

Dear Mrs. Orland,
   Thank you for the wedding gift. I have the black ceramic vase on my mantel. It is always nice to receive an item unique to a certain part of the country. It has a history of its own, and we love it.

Visiting
Katie & Jason,
   We really enjoyed staying with you while we were in California last week. You two were more than accommodating to us and we really appreciate you rearranging your schedules to show us around town. Thanks for being delightful hosts, we would be more than happy to put you up next time you are in Chicago.

Information
Dr. Arronson,
   Thank you for your prompt reply to my inquiry regarding photographing a portion of your rare book collection. I would appreciate it if you will allow me to photograph the illustration plates from your Tom Finn book. Please let me know what times would be best for you.

Recommendation
Dear Ellis,
   Just a short thank-you for the recommendation you gave me. Your well-chosen words were a big boost in getting me the transfer I wanted.
   I sincerely appreciate your help.

Illness
Dear Fred,
  Thank you for the flowers you sent while I was in the hospital. It really helped brighten my days.
   I am now back to work on a half-day schedule, but will be working full-time next week. The operation went well and the recovery period gave me chance to relax. When you are in Los Angeles again, please stop by and we can share a couple hours over lunch.

- - -

I hope this info is somewhat helpful to you as you sit down to write those holiday thank you cards and when you sit down to write others in the future. If you weren't planning on writing any, I think you should reconsider. Getting a thank you card after bustling though the holiday shopping crowd is quite a nice treat.

With a bow on top,
Kathy

Information from: Lifetime Encyclopedia of Letters, by Harold E. Meyer

Current favorite thank you card at Greer by Moglea

"Greetings From Venice" : Mosaic Stamp Art of Elisabetta Di Maggio

There will never be an adequate way to share this art with you in pictures, but please go to Colossal and Irenebrination to explore more of this work by Elisabetta Di Maggio. It's one of those installation pieces that I have wild daydreams about- how would thousands upon thousands of stamps look, all arranged together? She has made my dream a reality, and what a beautiful reality it is!

P.S. Images from Colossal which is a really great site that you should follow if you don't already.

Have a Creepy Christmas

I mean, you know I will, because that's how I roll, but the Victorians were on my side. Check out these amazing vintage cards of yesteryear. Before Christmas was codified red and green and St. Nick was standardized by advertisements, there was a lot of originality to be had in holiday imagery. The eldritch-looking jellyfish ones are a modern creation, but I still appreciate expanding the idea of how Christmas can be presented. Plus, they go with a story, and I think story-telling should always be part of the long nights of the Winter holiday. Whatever cards you sent or received, I'm wishing you many more of both! Here's to fuller mailboxes ahead!

Holiday Card Hold Up

You know, there was one glorious year where I had all my cards done before the 25th. I don't know how I did it, and I've never been able to repeat it. However, I think most people enjoy getting mail at any time. I doubt there's a person who goes, "Oh, it's the 27th, better throw this in the bin without reading it. It's dead to me." In any case, one year, a friend explained that the 12 Days of Christmas start on the 25th and it's still the Christmas season til Epiphany on January 6th. I don't even have to pretend the cards are New Years cards until AFTER that point. And what's wrong with New Years cards? Nothing! New Years cards are awesome. In fact, in Japan, they are kind of a big deal. Anyways, if you expected a card from me, it's coming at some point. Here's to resolving to a better response rate in 2020! How'd you all do?  

P.S. As of writing this post, I've been through A, B, C, & D and then T, U, V, W, X, Y, & Z in the address book. Only 16 more to go!

Happy Holidays to All!

Wishing everyone full mailboxes and no lost packages! If you need me, I'll be here, still writing cards. 'Tis the season! Thank you all! I won't be writing blog posts though.  Hope you enjoyed the holiday postings!

P.S. Beautiful stamp shot from Verde Studio.

Taipei's Typhoon-Bent Mailboxes

When I saw these mailboxes on the Christchurch Letter Writers Society Instagram page, I had to know more! In 2015, a powerful typhoon tore through Taipei with winds in excess of 200 kilometers per hour. These boxes were slammed into by a sign which cause them to be bent at this angle. In the midst of all the chaos and tragedy, the mailboxes were seen as something to smile about. From Amusing Planet:

"Many Taiwanese think the city’s postboxes resemble faces, and this side-by-side pair, with their poles identically bent looked like a pair of dogs cocking their heads in confusion."

"The mailboxes —nicknamed "Xiao Hong" (little red) and "Xiao Lu" (little green)— became so popular with locals as well as with tourists that the post office decided to keep them in their current shape. The mailboxes still accept letters, and Chunghwa Post now stamps them with a special postmark showing the two leaning celebrities."

While the boxes are typically found near the intersection of Nanjing East Road and Longjiang Road, the head correspondent of CHLWS found them re-stationed in the airport for the holiday. They do look quite festive and fun!

Fun with Numbers

In case you want to improve your knowledge of postal trivia (and I can't think of why you wouldn't want that), here's a link to a PDF of Postal Facts. Also, they've got a website for tidbits like this too. Make new friends! Impress your family! Stress that the post office should remain a public service and that they don't get any tax dollars!

The Nice & The Naughty

Two news stories for Santa's list regarding postal happenings. Let's start with the good! The U.S.P.S. has a number of employees who have been working for the mail for over six decades. One of them is the charming Theodore Roberts from my very own Chicago. There have been quite a few 60+ year employees of the postal service which always comes as a surprise to me that someone can be with one organization for so long. Perhaps it's my age, or my generation, but it seems like such a fantasy story to me. 

And now, the naughty! The Daily Mail reported on the case of Paul and Samantha Harrison who were convicted of buying used stamps, "washing" them, and then reselling them for use. The article goes into a fair amount of detail about stamp washing which is interesting, but I was also thinking, "Don't go giving people more dumb ideas." I was mostly astonished by how long they got away with it for and to the tune of over 700,000 stamps. They defrauded the Royal Mail of about £421,000. That's insane. I'd also like to remind you to beware if you buy postage from a third-party seller. There's a lot of counterfeit out there, as well as shenanigans like this! Naughty list for sure for those two.