"Letters are done with much more purpose than e-mails," said Marcia Adair, 28, a project participant in Guelph, Ont. "I went out and bought special stationery and practised a bit beforehand to make sure my handwriting didn't suck."
But what most surprised Ms. Park and Ms. Trancho-Robie was the creativity of the writers. One Vancouver woman included dyed eagle feathers with her letter. Others doodled in the margins. Ms. Park sent a collection of photographs.
Even so, Ms. Park doubts anyone will be persuaded to alter their electronic ways. "You can't opt out of technological change," she said. "We can't change how technology is changing us."
The Modern Letter Project is closed to new participants. For more letters, go to Flickr.com/groups/modernletter
FROM LEAGH GOUGH, 27
Mill Bay, Vancouver Island, B.C.
High school English teacher
TO CATHERINE
Brooklyn, N.Y.
WHY
"My letter was the first time I had ever 'spoken' to someone from such an exotic place as Brooklyn. Sitting down to write a letter to a stranger was difficult at first, but I soon found myself rambling about what I think I know about Brooklyn and comparing it to my small town on Vancouver Island."
WHAT
"For years I have browsed stationery stores, gazing longingly at beautiful papers and note card sets. This was a card from a set of stationery I was given for my wedding shower, two years ago. Until this point, I had no good reason to use one!"
FROM LIZ KELLERMEYER, 28
Denver, Colo.
Editorial Assistant
TO INNA
Brooklyn, N.Y.
WHY
"I actually shared more in this letter than I have with some people I know. Because the correspondence was private, as opposed to a public blog entry, I felt I could disclose more even though it was to a stranger. It felt good to do that; I haven't written a private letter to someone in years."
WHAT
"I chose the gazelle because the front of my card was too blank and needed a little something extra. The gazelle seemed harmless, interesting and humorous. I hoped my letter would be perceived in the same way."
FROM NANCY NG, 32
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Graphic Designer
TO ANDREA
Brooklyn, N.Y.
WHY
"In high school my best friend gave me a book called Griffin & Sabine written and illustrated by Nick Bantock. The book was filled with luscious illustrations and intriguing words between two strangers. Each letter and postcard had their own personality. That idea stayed with me for years."
WHAT
"In my first letter, I wanted to convey that I was a born-and-bred New Yorker. On the back of dark green stationery, I made a solvent transfer of a photograph that I took in Lower Manhattan."
