Letter Writing Project 88 The Type Set by Keith Sharon, Journalist, Nashville Tennessean is our focus as we close up June 2021!
Of course, I’m going to be writing a letter to him! And I’m hoping you will join me in letting him know letter writing is alive and well!
Earlier this week when seeing The Typosphere title of their email, I KNEW it was fantastic! Journalist Keith Sharon (and he’s a typewriter enthusiast) is beginning a new column, The Type Set. It is about letter writing. He is wanting to correspond with as many people from around the world in his new Project 88; its name reflecting his Smith-Corona 88 having 88 typewriter characters.
In his article he shares he has been writing one letter a day. As of posting his story on June 24th he has not received any replies yet.
And as I’m reading thinking, …. just give it time for people he has written to for them to reply – that and getting the word out among the letter writing online magazine Letters & Journals, AnchoredScraps blog roll favorites letter writing blogs, and the Letter Writing Challenge Month Opportunities each February for example. We continue to explore different letter writing connection options and of the reasons for including the search feature on this blog.
Letter Writing Project 88 The Type Set by Keith Sharon, Journalist, Nashville Tennessean
It is worth noting, his article is the first of its kind for me to see in the over six years blogging here, and today is blog post #2103!
I’m including both the video (embedding it) and its link to watch him type and narrate his article, reminding me of style by Andy Rooney, it is very nicely done!
The excerpts below are from his article “The Type Set: Do people still write and mail letters the old fashioned way? We’re going to find out, by Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, published 6:00 AM CT June 24, 2021. (Twitter @KeithSharonTN)
“With this machine, I have dreamed about truly connecting with people. Not just through tweets and texts, but with real, thoughtful writing. Think of the great novels, screenplays and letters that have begun with the clack of a typewriter.”
…
I’ll write about my correspondence in a column called “The Type Set,” which is a play on “the Jet set” and the phrase “type set” which is the old way print newspapers lined up their pages before they ran through the press.
This project isn’t for politics. It’s not for angry rants.
It’s for letters about long lost loves, people who died, stories of overcoming obstacles. It’s for inspiring people, writing about things that move you. It’s for favorite movies, sad songs and recipes your grandmother used to make.
…
If you want to write to me (and I’ll do my best to correspond) send a letter to:
Keith Sharon
The Tennessean
1801 West End
17th Floor
Nashville TN 37203
If you use a typewriter, great. If you use a pencil, fountain pen, chisel and slate or computer, that’s fine too. Just make it conversational.
…”
Kindred Letter Writing Enthusiasts!
Before closing, when naming this blog and figuring out the scope, I still remember when naming it (thanks again Dad!) realizing my quest was to connect with other kindred letter writing souls! Finding 50 others to correspond with who “get” letter writing – having it as my focus with them in mind. Furthermore, I then was thinking “everyone else welcome to read along”. By narrowing the focus of my blog it actually opened a big world within its focus area. I mention some of it within the 4Ws in my first blog post here. It is something I tend to share at some point in most of my letters with pen pals. Thank you again for continuing to be on this blog journey with me!
I’ll see you back here on Sunday, July 4th! In the meantime, I’m hoping you’ll send a postcard or letter to him sharing letter writing IS alive and well!!!
Anchors Aweigh,
Helen
AnchoredScraps #2103
P.S. (Addendum) Lastly, in writing this post I began thinking about Andy Rooney. While I believe the book I have by him sitting on my bookcase is “Sincerely, Andy Rooney” (1999 hardback)- I will confirm when back in town. In doing a search her of my posts I really thought the book was one I had already blogged about but apparently not yet! Stay tuned.
