Is it too late to send holiday cards? Not according to Michelle Slatalla writing in The New York Times. This is a tongue-in-cheek piece, but very funny and with more than a few truths about cards sent – and received. I wrote in an earlier article how I am committed to sending cards next year. It’s a good way to incorporate one more personal (and analog) touch into my life.
There are travel journals and then there are travel journals. Back to that in a minute. Stacie Rife is a mixed media collage artist from the state of Washington- and is extremely talented. She has the Bailey’s Bliss website where some of her work is on display. It is definitely a place worth spending some time and, if interested, she sells some of her work on eBay. You’ll be impressed.
Then there’s this travel journal. I first became acquainted with Stacie’s work while doing a random Google search looking for journals. I clicked on Bailey’s Bliss and discovered her travel journal that really impressed me. Clicking here will take you to page one and you can click through the 37 pages and find out what can be done with a vacation, a Moleskine, some pencils and talent like Stacie Rife’s. Nice work.
I’ve been reading a lot of posts regarding the increased use of pencils as primary writing instruments. What do you think about this? Some say that pencils fade and shouldn’t be considered for journals, diaries, etc. Yet, a lot of documents written in pencil have survived for many years.
I’m anxious to try the Palomino pencils from California Republic. I know they are favorites of our friends at Pencil Revolution. They wrote a fine review back in September of last year. You can take a look at the Palomino, and order, from the Pencil World Creativity Store.
As for pens, it seems the discussion thread of choice is Moleskinerie’s Moleskine Pens?. The thread began two years ago this month and is still going strong with a lot of great tips. I’m still using the Pilot G2 .05 and .07.
This is a huge pet peeve of mine that I simply do not understand. Schools are still using writing as punishment. It’s wrong, wrong, wrong and the stupidity in such “punishment” really makes me angry. Maybe it’s one of those things that is done because it’s, “always been done,” and some never think twice about the ramifications and the message that is sent. If that’s the case, then it’s time to wake some people up.
The scenario is usually something like this: Johnny or Sally is late for class (or some such thing), and the teacher tells them that their punishment will be, “a writing assignment.” Ugh. In the mildest form it is usually the old, “I WILL NOT ________” 100 times on the board or on paper. This is bad enough as it makes the connection between pen and paper and punishment. However, at its worst, the “punishment” is an actual writing assignment. Maybe it’s an essay on why it’s important to not be late. Maybe it’s a report on anything, as long as it is X number of words. Sometimes it is a two-page biographical sketch of the student’s choice. (In and of itself – an excellent educational activity!) But as punishment? The message is clear. If you, Johnny or Sally, do something wrong you may very well be forced to write –
and we know how much you hate to write! (Or if you don’t hate to write, you should!)
The basis of this punishment is an assumption that nobody actually likes to write. Can you imagine? As punishment, you will have to learn about somebody and put your reflections – on paper! In other words, research and (God forbid) writing is such an awful activity, that if you do something wrong – you are stuck with pen and paper, or in front of a computer screen to do something more than play games. You will have to…..to…..to….. write!
How stupid can we be? How have we let this go on as long as it has? Do you need a Masters in Education to see how crazy this is? Well….forget that last sentence….many of them are the very people who perpetuate this atrocity. You might very well need to step away from the education establishment to see the absurdity in using writing as punishment.
What can we do? If you agree, and you find your schools are using writing as punishment – complain. Loudly. In person – and in, uh, writing. If you have children and they are “threatened” with a writing assignment as discipline, it’s time to call the teacher and make an appointment. Many teachers when presented with the common-sense of NOT using this method will hit their forehead and say, “What was I thinking?,” others though will fight to the bitter end because that’s what they were taught. If they claim it is school policy – time to make the appointment with the principal. If the principal claims it is district policy – time to write that speech for the school board.
Writing as punishment? What a horrible message to send our children. Let’s all – all of us who love pens, pencils, paper, books and writing – do our part to help change this upside-down kind of thinking about writing. No more writing as punishment. Period.
I had a lot of good reaction to my recent post about handwritten notes. I thought I would expand that a bit to the good old-fashioned letter.
Alexandra Stoddard wrote a book in 1991, that continues to be recommended and read titled, Gift Of A Letter. I have had this book for several years and have re-read it once or twice. It’s an excellent look at the lost art of letter writing.
There aren’t a lot of books that look at letter writing from a modern-day cultural perspective and Alexandra Stoddard does a good job of suggesting ways of bringing us back to a simpler, and more personal time.
Interestingly, Stoddard is most often thought of as a “writer for women” but I found the book (as is often the case) gender neutral. It’s all about marketing.
The publisher’s description does a nice job of summing up this book of 144 pages:
This enchanting book is dedicated to one of the most intimate and touching of human experiences — the letter. With charm, grace, and enthusiasm, Alexandra Stoddard describes the art and the pleasure of writing letters and the surprising joy it can bring to writer and recipient alike. A letter that takes only a few minutes to write may be treasured for years. Its contents are a true expression of heart, mind, and spirit. Brimming with anecdotes and ways to bring letters into your life, Gift of a Letter inspires and satisfies.
I can highly recommend this book as a good addition to your library if you have an interest in all things paper. Note that you can pick this book up used at Amazon Marketplace for as little as a penny plus $3.49 shipping. So, this book can be delivered to your door for three and a half bucks. You can’t go wrong.
