'Syme’s Letter Writer' revives the lost art of letter-writing
Rachel Syme’s new book explores the beauty of handwritten letters in the digital age.
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| Illustration by Jena Ardell |
By Hayu Andini and Widya Putri
Syme's Letter Writer: A Guide to Modern Correspondence About (Almost) Every Imaginable Subject of Daily Life, with Odes to Desktop Ephemera and Selected Letters of Famous Writers, by Rachel Syme
Letter-writing, one of humanity’s oldest forms of communication, dates back thousands of years. Historians often credit Atossa, a Persian queen who reigned 2,500 years ago, as one of the earliest known figures to use letters for conveying news. However, none of her writings survive. Some of the oldest surviving letters include a fragment of papyrus from seven centuries later, written by Arrianus, a Roman citizen in Egypt, to his brother Paulus. This early correspondence featured many of the tropes we recognize today—warm greetings, family updates, and casual conversation—though his request for fish liver sauce may seem unusual to modern readers.
For centuries, letters served as vital tools in administration, commerce, diplomacy, and even religion. They facilitated the spread of philosophical ideas across continents and contributed significantly to literature, particularly the rise of the novel. The practice of letter-writing uniquely combined solitude with connection, as expressed by Lord Byron, whose letters are celebrated for their wit and expressive punctuation.
Yet, in the modern era, the tradition of letter-writing has faded. The invention of the telephone reduced its necessity, and with the rise of email, texting, and instant messaging, handwritten letters have become rare. Today, letter-writing is often viewed as a quaint pastime, reserved for thank-you notes and formal condolences. While some enthusiasts cherish the tangible and personal nature of letters, the delay in delivery makes them feel outdated in an age of instant communication, often dismissed as “snail mail.”
Rachel Syme’s mission to revive letter-writing
Rachel Syme, a New York-based journalist known for profiling cultural figures like Lady Gaga and perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, refuses to let letter-writing fade into obscurity. Her book, Syme’s Letter Writer, is not a historical account or a tribute to famous correspondents. Instead, it’s a deeply personal and opinionated celebration of the practice, enriched by whimsical design and Joana Avillez’s illustrations.
Syme delights in the theatricality of handwritten correspondence. She discusses pen pals, the etiquette of ending a correspondence, and the allure of fountain pens, which she describes as “easy to love and even easier to feel irrationally passionate about.” She reassures readers that letter-writing is not bound by rigid etiquette rules, like those dictated by Emily Post, but is instead a joyful, creative act.
Syme is a connoisseur of small pleasures—the crisp ding of a typewriter’s carriage release, the aesthetics of postage stamps, and the excitement of receiving a well-crafted envelope. She enjoys sending letters with enclosed surprises like tea bags or tarot cards and scents her stationery by storing it with cinnamon sticks. Her enthusiasm extends to repurposing vintage tourism postcards, particularly those from 1980s Florida, which she finds charmingly kitschy.
The beauty of personal correspondence
For Syme, the thrill of receiving mail is matched by the joy of sending it. She finds translucent vellum envelopes “practically burlesque” in their elegance, and she believes some pink stationery can be “impudent.” While she acknowledges the sentimental appeal of traditional care packages, she also revels in creative additions like laminating matchbooks into bookmarks.
She draws inspiration from letter-writing legends, including Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, and Nora Ephron, the latter of whom she credits with sending a “secret cookbook” in epistolary form. One of Syme’s favorites is Zelda Fitzgerald, whom she praises for her passionate and vibrant letters.
Throughout the book, Syme offers practical advice on rekindling the habit of letter-writing. She suggests sending postcards as a gentle way to reestablish neglected connections and recommends listing sensory experiences when writing from abroad. She even proposes a “correspondence hour,” a time set aside for letter-writing, ideally with a cocktail in hand.
For those looking to add flair to their writing, she humorously outlines how to craft a “bitchy” letter, citing Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s famous embroidered pillow: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, come sit right here by me.” More usefully, she provides a tip for writing apologies—avoiding the temptation to be “impeccably right” and instead striving to be “impeccably kind.”
A love letter to a fading tradition
Ultimately, the most memorable aspects of Syme’s book are the charming anecdotes and personal touches that make letter-writing feel both intimate and exciting. She recalls discovering an endearing sign-off in a letter from Zora Neale Hurston to her mentor Alain Locke: “So long, old cabbage.” Such details highlight the warmth and humor that handwritten letters can capture—something that can’t be replicated in a hurried email.
In a world dominated by digital communication, Syme’s Letter Writer makes a compelling case for reviving the lost art of letter-writing. Whether it’s through scented stationery, an unexpected enclosure, or a thoughtfully chosen phrase, Syme reminds readers that letters offer a uniquely personal way to connect. For those longing for a return to tangible, meaningful correspondence, this book serves as both inspiration and invitation.
