the evaporation of language
I have had the opportunity over the last year to take a look at letters written by people back in the 1940's sent during world war II. Most notably last week when I went to visit relatives in California and I was given a box of letter my Grandfather wrote back to the family during his time in Japan in the Navy.
Before this I had the chance to read through letters in the University of Southern Maine archive from the late husband of a friend of my mothers. It was an impressive journey through not only the personal instances of the author but it covered a lot of world topics and political and philosophical ideas.
I have written letters before but I understand them in a modern sense, hey how are you doing i'm well send money. You type them or scribble them on paper and send them out but the dialogue is kept simple this is why in the military i ceased sending letters and just sent continuing short stories about nutty things in my environment.
Letters from this time were different and more thoughtful partly because of methodology. You were using a typewriter so you had to be careful, the mistakes kept. There wasnt a whole lot of other communication options, calling was expensive overseas and email didnt exist. You couldn't update your facebook status to PTSD in WWII. They covered politics and the ongoing changes in social programs and how they fit in the philosophy of the country we grew up in. The letters weren't written to one person in most instances but as long narrative commentary to home.
As we communicate in one sentence emails or blog posts i hope we don't lose the ability to take each word seriously as serious as it demands and to treat each sentence like we can't erase and rewrite it.
Before this I had the chance to read through letters in the University of Southern Maine archive from the late husband of a friend of my mothers. It was an impressive journey through not only the personal instances of the author but it covered a lot of world topics and political and philosophical ideas.
I have written letters before but I understand them in a modern sense, hey how are you doing i'm well send money. You type them or scribble them on paper and send them out but the dialogue is kept simple this is why in the military i ceased sending letters and just sent continuing short stories about nutty things in my environment.
Letters from this time were different and more thoughtful partly because of methodology. You were using a typewriter so you had to be careful, the mistakes kept. There wasnt a whole lot of other communication options, calling was expensive overseas and email didnt exist. You couldn't update your facebook status to PTSD in WWII. They covered politics and the ongoing changes in social programs and how they fit in the philosophy of the country we grew up in. The letters weren't written to one person in most instances but as long narrative commentary to home.
As we communicate in one sentence emails or blog posts i hope we don't lose the ability to take each word seriously as serious as it demands and to treat each sentence like we can't erase and rewrite it.
posted by veritas2 at
8:30 AM
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