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Envelope Optimisation
Sometimes things go awry at Publetters: a bout of writers’ cramp, a stamp that won’t peel up off the sheet, a leaky fountain pen. And one grumbles, “Oh, fiddlesticks” and wonders if the whole enterprise is worth it. THEN AN ENVELOPE LIKE THIS APPEARS… And you look about – and everyone is scritch-scratching away, pausing only to stay hydrated with the odd gulp of beer – and you say, “Publetters is kind of alright, really, ha-ha!”. Hope you will make it down for the last Publetters of May – at the Pub On Passyunk East – this very Tuesday, May 31. We tap a pint glass with a spoon at about 7 p.m. to start it all off.
And then there were Twenty…
…Letters, that is–the best total yet during this merry, somewhat mushy month of May at Pub On Passyunk East. We wrote: a lovely thank your note to our current President, a private letter (the contents of which we know nothing about–really, all letters are private when you think about it, esp. compared to gmail and such!) to Ms. Tig Notar0, and many others to all sorts of towns, including Searcy, AK, Forked River NJ, and Palm Beach Gardens, FLA, which sounds like a pleasant place to be right about now. Take a look at the backs of these letters and realize that sometimes it can be just fine to judge a book by its cover.
“P.S. You’ve been Publettered” … wow, someone verbalized Publetter-ing! We wouldn’t have had the nerve, but they forged ahead. Thank!
OK, please note two things: 1) There are two more Publetters Sessions down at P.O.P.E. Tuesday the 24th and Tuesday the 31st of May. Then we go just uptown a bit to FERGIE’S PUB, which you may have heard of! First one there is June 7th and please note: the FERGIES SESSIONS START EARLY: running 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., so rush out of work and all that. AS ALWAYS, Publetters is presented by Yards Brewing, with stationery courtesy of Northern Liberties Press and stamps from Trophy Bikes.
Veni, Vidi, Scripti?
Well, we don’t like to be all velvet rope about it–but with the crush of the Craft Brewer’s Conference, this little sign was vital in saving a patch of real estate at the Pub On Passyunk East to set up our paper and stamps. We had a great evening, penning letters to Mobile AL, Minneapolis MN (in purple ink), Ennis TX, and of course we dropped a line to Vatican City, P.O.P.E. to Pope, you might well say. Please join us on Tuesday, (May 10) or any Tuesday this Month down on Passyunk Avenue, which curves, as all Philadelphia avenues do. Starts around 7, goes till after 9. FREE. Presented by Yards Brewing, stamps by Trophy Bikes, stationery courtesy Northern Liberty Press.
Tomorrow’s Dilemma…
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: On the first Tuesday of every month, there is an interesting scheduling conflict – which you and you alone must decide how to settle.
That was a record, set at Doobies–79 hand-written letters in one evening!
Doobies Bar, the birthplace of Publetters, holds its monthly edition of this letter writing and beer drinking evening. BUT the residency (“road show”, if you will) version of Publetters will be at the Pub On Passyunk East every Tuesday this month, including this Tuesday, May 3. A practical person would simply go to whichever establishment is closest to their home. A completist would start at the pub furthest from their home, then finish up at the one closer to their home. They’re just 2 miles / 16 minutes apart by bicycle, so that could be called practical, too.
We (well, me) could go on mulling this one for far too long. We shall not question your decision, no matter which bar you show up at! But remember that we start at about 7 pm and go till after 9ish. It’s free, and we bring all the stamps, paper, envelopes and even some loaner pens. Presented by Yards Brewing Company, with sponsors Trophy Bikes and Northern Liberty Press. Just bring words.
Going to SE Philly… (after NE Philly)
Rick J. calls this part of Philly “Southern Liberties” – and he may have a point. We can exalt or debunk that idea and many others every Tuesday (5/3, 10, 17, 24 & 31) in May at the Pub On Passyunk East, 1501 Passyunk Ave. at Dickinson. Of course, we’ll have our Publetters Cheat Sheet with “The” Pope’s address so you can go P.O.P.E. to Pope, as it were. Have you written to William Shatner lately? Got his coordinates as well; and we will drop a line to Geraint Watkins (that’s him, below) c/o the Balham Bowls Club over in London to see how he is doing.
As always, we will have US Postage Stamps (including Global First Class for handling Papal and Geraintal mail) courtesy of Trophy Bikes, stationery from the mighty Northern Liberty Press and the whole shebang is Presented By Yards Brewing Co.
We set out a pint glass full of loaner pens about 7 p.m.; if you come much after 9 p.m., you might miss it, so set your alarm! Follow Publetters on Insta and Twit and FB, as some call them.
Posted in Drinking and Writing, Publetters, Pubwriting, USPS, Yards Brewing Company
Tagged good Philly pubs, handwritten letters, National Association of Letter Carriers, Pub On Passyunk East, the slow writing movement, Trophy Bikes Philadelphia, United States Postal Service, USPS, William Shatner
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Your Words / Our Stamps / This Tuesday
These are some beautiful old stamps, yes? Still, their real meaning doesn’t emerge until they are fastened to an envelope bearing a letter. That’s where you come in (the door of the Grey Lodge Pub, to be exact) on Frankford Avenue. We will mark the last Publetters of April on Tuesday, the 26th, and bid farewell to Northeast Philadelphia. IN MAY, we pop up every Tuesday at the PUB ON PASSYUNK EAST. More on that when we see you at the Grey Lodge, OK?
Ahh, write now, before right now is yesterday!
Thanks for pal Greg B. for the lead to this beautiful photo series on disappearing US Post Offices in the deep South, written + photographed by Rachel Boillot:
PHOTO BY RACHEL BOILLOT
Click on the photo or the link below to see the whole story; it may make you sigh.
http://rachelboillot.com/post-script
NEW MONTH, NEW PUB!
Posted in Drinking and Writing, Publetters, Pubwriting, USPS, writing in pubs, Yards Brewing Company
Tagged drinking and writing, Frankford Avenue, Frankford Philadelphia, good Philly pubs, handwritten letters, Oxford Circle, The Grey Lodge Philadelphia, United States Postal Service, writing letters in bars
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SAVE THE US POSTAL SERVICE join us in OLD CITY on TUESDAY, June 23, lunchtime! 