The Misanthrope’s Corner

I AM AT war, fighting to save the dying practice of letter writing from the iniquities of “communications resources.” Mind you, I’m not a Luddite. I love computers for making letters easier to write, and I love fax machines for getting my letters to their destination instantly. My quarrel is with America’s attitude toward the epistolary art. I call it Scriptophobia.

Other commentators on this subject have been content to blame the telephone, but there’s more to it. The telephone merely made letter writing unnecessary; our era of special prosecutors and independent counsels has made it fatal. “Paper trail” has not only entered the language, it has replaced “albatross.” Letters, if they are written at all, are something to be shredded.

About the Author

Florence King

Florence King was a contributing editor of National Review.

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I AM AT war, fighting to save the dying practice of letter writing from the iniquities of “communications resources.” Mind you, I’m not a Luddite. I love computers for making letters easier to write, and I love fax machines for getting my letters to their destination instantly. My quarrel is with America’s attitude toward the epistolary art. I call it Scriptophobia.

Other commentators on this subject have been content to blame the telephone, but there’s more to it. The telephone merely made letter writing unnecessary; our era of special prosecutors and independent counsels has made it fatal. “Paper trail” has not only entered the language, it has replaced “albatross.” Letters, if they are written at all, are something to be shredded.