Would you like to give a gift that is memorable, meaningful, and leaves a legacy for future generations?
Through facts, personal memoir, and anecdotes from other letter enthusiasts, Lynne M. Kolze makes the case that handwritten letters are still a highly relevant and irreplaceable form of communication, sorely needed in a time of disconnection, epidemic loneliness, and stress.
Inside Please Write, you will find dozens of reasons to familiarize yourself with, or simply remind yourself of, the joys of letter writing—from the physical and emotional rewards it provides, to the historical value our authentic words can offer future generations.
Please Write is a call to action for those who value deeper and more lasting forms of communication.
Lynne M. Kolze grew up near Chicago but has called the Twin Cities her home for over thirty years. Before she began writing nonfiction, she earned bachelor's degrees in natural resources and water resources management and a master's degree in public affairs from Indiana University. Kolze's guiding passion was public service, beginning her career as an environmental planner for the US Environmental Protection Agency and later working for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. She has extensive experience in writing, public speaking, policy making, and citizen engagement.
Kolze enjoys connecting with her friends and family whether in person, by phone, or through letter writing. She finds joy and meaning in the soulful art of handwritten letters, believing this form of communication is often the most authentic, joyful, and remarkable of all. Kolze also enjoys tending her gardens, traveling, hiking with her husband, Allen, and spending time with her adult children, Laura and Ian.
"In this heartfelt book, Kolze makes a compelling case to slow down and nurture human connections through handwritten letters." - Carolyn Porter, author of Marcel’s Letters: A Font and the Search for One Man’s Fate
"Having guided people to write legacy letters for more than twenty years, I thought I knew it all. Not true! What an unexpected pleasure it was to read Lynne's book. Her palpable passion for writing letters is matched by her intelligent and coherent writing, her fascinating examples, and her interesting historical facts. Whichever kind of handwritten letters you choose to write, know that you are passing forward Lynne's passion and wisdom. So, sharpen your pencil and start writing!" - Rachael Freed, author of Your Legacy Matters, Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies, and The Legacy Workbook for the Busy Woman
"From cover to cover, Ms. Kolze trumpets an art form that needs not only to be maintained, but revitalized and cherished." - Dennis F. Depcik, author of Wouldn’t It Be Something
"This book has everything you need to know about the history, art, and science of letter writing. It will persuade you that you should write more letters and inspire you to find a pen and piece of paper and start writing. The results will change your life." - John Kralik, author of A Simple Act of Gratitude and Three Bodies by the River
"Please Write is a love letter to the art of letter writing, a meditation on all that's warm and nostalgic about exchanging letters. For previous generations, a lot of life was lived through letters, and Please Write reminds the reader of this: love letters, letters of gratitude, postcards sent while traveling, and letters which share all the gossip and, sometimes, the bad news. Letters are a tangible thing we can share, something that can remain when we're gone, and Kolze reminds us of and celebrates that magical quality. This isn't a straightforward history of letter writing (though you will find some of that in its pages), but a reminder of what letters can be." - Nicky Walters, Postcrossing
