Years ago, while working in politics, the personal power of handwritten correspondence was impressed upon me. Like most people my age, I had never really bothered with writing by hand – not when I could type 100+ words per minute (yes, really). The act of writing out even a postcard made my fingers cramp and my shoulder ache.

Something about it stuck with me, though. The way that a handwritten note was almost instantly memorable; the reactions people had to the thoughtfulness of a letter over an e-mail. I bought some nice Crane & Co. stationery for a little extra “oomph” when I wanted or needed it. Then (as some of you may recall) a friend led me to Bibliographica journals, and that was another step up in my treatment of the written word.

While I was raving about my new journal to everybody I knew, my buddy…