MNN - Mother Nature Network

First there was Slow Food, then there was Slow Fashion. And now, there's Slow Communications. Lettr, a new site, is attempting to bring back the old-fashioned idea of letter-writing by providing a space that feels a little bit like a writing desk. 

 

Of course, there will be purists who say that to truly enjoy letter writing you must do it on fancy stationery using a pen or pencil, and putting the paper and envelope in the mail (and receiving them) is part of the fun. And if you're into that sort of thing, go for it. But I can't be the only one who is now so much faster at typing that writing by hand is painfully slow. Nor can I be the only one who likes to write on a whim, when I'm going to be on a crowded train or airplane, both of which are situations where writing on the computer is far easier (for mitigating bumps and motion too). 

 

The site tries, pretty earnestly, to approximate what it's like to have your very own writing desk and 'paper' to choose from (which comes in various prints and colors) as well as corresponding types of prints and cursive writing that pops up on your screen as you write (which is weirdly rewarding — to be typing and have a lovely script come out!). There's also a 'desk drawer' (for letters you've already sent), a 'fridge' to post letters publicly, a 'kitchen counter' for letters you have received, and a 'shoebox' to store your letters in. 

 

And if you are drawing a blank and need inspiration, there are even vintage letters that are great examples of the kind of correspondence people used to send. Lettrs is such a great idea, because you get the best parts of communicating online (typing rather than writing, the speed, no lost mail, and it's free!) with the nice parts of a letter — pretty stationery, the sense of sitting down to write, quietly, to one person in a meaningful way. 

 

Who would you write to?