The Art of the Handwritten NoteThe Art of the Handwritten Note

When you receive a handwritten envelope in your daily mail, do you open it first because you can't wait to see who has written to you and why? Or do you hold it aside to savor and enjoy after you are done sorting your bills and tossing out the junk mail? Whatever your approach, you no doubt recognize the importance of the note that comes in a lovely envelope with personal handwriting and possibly a decoration or two. Indeed, in an age when birthday greetings are sent by e-mail, the personal letter is appreciated even more than before.

For those who enjoy writing notes, as much as those who find themselves intimidated by the task, acclaimed calligrapher Margaret Shepherd has created both an epistolary tribute and a recuse manual. Just as you cherish receiving personal mail, you can also take pleasure in crafting your own correspondence. Love, gratitude, condolences, congratulations-for every emotion and occasion, a snippet of heartfelt prose is offered here, sure to loosen the most stymied letter writer.

Not only providing you with inspiration for the content of the notes, 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 tapped out on a keyboard. From upgrading your rusty penmanship to mastering the challenge of keeping straight margins, avoiding smeared ink, and choosing stationery that suits the occasion as well as you own style, this is a powerful little guide to conveying thoughts in an enduring-and noteworthy-way.