A recent New York Times article by Penelope Green looked at the continuing art of letter writing. On customized stationery, to be precise. The effort of writing a sincere letter of gratitude and sending it punctually conjures a bit of nostalgia. Like any one-sided act, this could be quite demoralizing when unrequited. Nevertheless, the beauty of the gesture remains.

"...what are still called 'social papers' are thriving, in spite of, or perhaps because of, the prevailing digital culture...Stationery aficionados say the cost is worth it: for the feel of the artisan's hand — cutting the die, sliding the tissue into the envelope, feeding the printing press — married to the effort of one's own hand"