Art of Correspondence : A Letter Is Practically a Gift

The editors of Victoria cordially invite you to savor quiet moments of bliss as you discover kinship and joy in The Art of Correspondence.

Since its inception, Victoria magazine has embraced the pursuit of loveliness through composing letters and journaling. In this hardcover volume, leadoff chapters “Sincerely Yours” and “Room for Writing” encourage readers to create space in both their calendars and homes for putting pen to paper, with ideas for arranging a full-size or lap desk with necessities, such as stationery, as well as intriguing collectibles, including inkwells and letter openers. “Artful Expressions” celebrates the treasured traditions of calligraphy, letter press, and wax seals.

Like satin streamers unfurled back and forth across the miles, missives exchanged over the course of time tug gently at the heartstrings, pulling loved ones closer as each handwritten note further entwines the lives of sender and receiver. Reflecting on the beauty of pouring one’s deepest feelings onto the page, The Art of Correspondence offers inspiration for creating meaningful connections through writing letters. With personal essays on the value of this practice, features highlighting exquisite accoutrements, and tips for expressing one’s thoughts in every situation, this book will delight and inform.

“We lay aside letters never to read them again, and at last we destroy them out of discretion,” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lamented, “and so disappears the most beautiful, the most immediate breath of life, irrecoverable for ourselves and for others.” In this title, glean helpful advice for sharing sentiments for each holiday, occasion, or circumstance. Find inspiration in the personal communications of a coterie of literature’s best-known authors, and explore postcards from the past—some heirlooms affixed with a postage stamp and many jotted in the ephemera of daily routines or imprinted in memory.

Melissa Lester joined the staff of Victoria in 2013, drawn to the gracious milieu of the magazine that so keenly influenced her own love of romantic living. With passion for shaping the publication’s voice in periodicals and books, this seasoned writer and editor finds deep satisfaction in bringing to the page timeless stories of beauty and inspiration. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama.