The Art of the Personal Letter is kind of like an etiquette guide specifically for letter-writing, but it’s much more than that, as well!  Besides the type of what-to’s (and what-not-to’s) that lead to good manners, it includes a good bit of how-to information that is simply practical.

Much of the etiquette will probably be a refresher for older readers.  It is a wonderfully well-rounded introduction for the younger generation.  I appreciated the author’s balance of tradition and the realities of modern life.  Email, for instance, is acknowledged as a fixture of modern life.  While upholding the value of a “real” letter, Shepherd does an excellent job of emphasizing when an email is a good fit, when it’s a bad fit, and when it’s downright bad manners, rather than suggesting that email is always an undesirable option.  She even addresses how the content of an email and the content of a “snail-mail” letter for the same purpose may vary.

She also did an excellent job of conveying both a sense of high esteem for the written letter that almost approaches reverence, as well as a down-to-earth, approachable personality.  We hear, throughout the book, about a lot of “shoulds” when it comes to writing and presenting our letters, but the author is not shy about sharing some of her own gaffes, making it clear that she’s painting a picture of the ideal to strive for, not asking the impossible.

Ultimately, the art of personal letter-writing is presented as just that — an art.  Many of Shepherd’s suggestions help the reader to view a letter as akin to a story — it needs a setting, characters, and a “plot.”  (“Plot,” in this case, would refer more broadly to a defined purpose and message, rather than a “plot,” strictly speaking.)  Such understandable comparisons as these make even otherwise stuffy or rigid rules make sense.

The Art of the Personal Letter: A Guide to Connecting Through the Written WordThe Art of the Handwritten Note: A Guide to Reclaiming Civilized Communication

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What is In It?

The first portion of the book is general.  It talks about the purpose or function of letters, describes some of the “tools of the trade,” and offers some additional information that applies to a variety of letter types.

The remainder of the book is divided into chapters by topic, which each topic comprised of a particular type of letter.  That is, each chapter addresses a particular function a letter may serve.  For instance:

Letters to Someone Who is Away
Love Letters
Letters of Congratulation
Letters of Sympathy
Letters of Thanks
Letters of Apology

There are a total of nineteen of these chapters.  Each addresses special considerations and general ideas to keep in mind for these letters.  It also lists some specific ideas for words and phrases to include or omit.  In some instances, there is additional information provided, as well.  For example, in the chapter about writing to someone who is away, there are extra boxes of information and tips especially about writing to military service members, and about writing to college students.

Conclusion

I would very highly recommend this for young people who need a general introduction to correspondence etiquette, as this provides that in an approachable way, and supports it with practical tools.  Those of us who are a bit more acclimated to letter-writing will still appreciate the practical tools.  Many of us will also appreciate the particular helps with navigating the waters of digital communication and how to balance it with written correspondence.

P.S. The Art of the Handwritten Note

Some of you will be wondering what the difference is between Margaret Shepherd’s The Art of the Personal Letter and her earlier book, The Art of the Handwritten Note.  There is a little bit of overlap, but they are mostly different.  The Art of the Handwritten Note spends more time on the “why” behind sending handwritten notes, rather than just emails and texts, and on how to write in general.  Consider this the “introductory” version, from which you can “graduate” to full-length letters!  There is a section near the end that addresses six specific types of notes (“thank you,” “I’m sorry,” “come over,” “please,” “I love you/I like you,” and “congratulations”).  This comprises a much smaller portion of the book, though, than the “letter types”portion of the Letter book.  And the entire focus of The Art of the Handwritten Note is on brief notes, while the focus of The Art of the Personal Letter is on lengthier letters.