August 7, 2020

When writing to or for dullards, a writer must work harder not to write dully. The witty whet our wit. We write up to them, not down.

George Gordon writes in “Cowper’s Letters” (More Companionable Books, 1947): “The truth is, of course, that letter-writing is like conversation: a social thing. It takes two to make a good letter. The first article in the equipment of a letter-writer is not a turn for phrases, but a friend; and the first personal requisite is the generosity to value friendship. If these are available no obstacle need be apprehended; you have only to draw your chair in, dip your pen, and be honestly yourself.”

The Past is a Pledge for the Future on Anecdotal Evidence.

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