When was the last time you picked up a pen and wrote something by hand? On a fretful shopping trip in central London Philip Hensher spent an entire day trying to buy a fountain pen with an italic nib.
On his fruitless expedition, apart from his own doodlings on the blotters of the pen departments of prestigious department stores, the author encounters no other person communicating by putting pen to paper. The world has gone keyboard crazy, mobile mad. The delights of receiving a handwritten letter are at risk of becoming a joy referenced only in history books. Hensher has written a passionate paean to the pen. A human being who writes with a pen leaves a physical trace of their humanity in ink on paper. Write a postcard to a friend today. It feels good.
Comments