Postcards

1 - This is also a forum for people to relate their funny, strange, bizarre, uncomfortable, postcard-related experiences and stories. Please feel free to share. Also, if you notice a postcard mentioned on David Letterman's opening statements, or mentioned in a work of fiction you're currently reading, or in a film (two weeks ago I was watching Godard's _A Woman Is a Woman_ and Anna Karina picks up a stack of postcards in a newsagent's shop and studies one image that is symbolic of her desire to have a baby)--that kind of stuff or anything else you encounter that involves postcards--a Norwegian novelist once wrote an entire novel on a postcard. You get the idea. All input welcome. B (Comment this)

2 - Hello there, I was just listening to your interview on CBC. About ten years ago a friend of mine was spending some time in Europe and sent his friends back a series of postcards, at least nine of 'em, maybe more. We each recieved one numbered postcard, on the back of which was a fraction of his tale of how Europe was treating him. He expected us to seek out the other recipients so we could all get together and, oh, I don't know, talk about how clever he was, I suppose. (In the meantime, I AM sitting here ten years later telling you about it.) He lives in Peterborough now, I think, you can get a hold of me if he seems like the kind of gent you'd like to speak to for the book.
Near the tail end of the interview you mentioned the Norweigan (?) who wrote a novel on a postcard, and also the writing exercise of containing a short story to a postcard - those comments put me in mind of a great book you may know, "kilter: 55 fictions" by John Gould, published by Turnstone Press. Fifty-five VERY short stories, a page or three each. Nominated for the Giller Prize in 2003. It might be up your alley. (Comment this)

3 - Great topic. Thought maybe I should add that in the advertising world, photographers and illustrators still send postcards to Art Directors in the hope that they will employ their services. Interestingly, to me, they rarely write a message on them. (Comment this)

4 - Just heard your interview on CBC--your research sounds just fascinating! I thought I'd mention one of my favourite collections of postcards, Ringo Starr's _Postcards from the Boys_, that might be worth looking at. A lot of them have sketches as well as writing--perhaps yet another area to look into. Best of luck with your work!
Robin. (Comment this)

5 - hello. also heard your CBC interview.

postcards have participated in my life in a lot of ways over the years. i have lived in 7 Canadian cities in 15 years and left friends behind. one quick way to communicate is to drop a card to them every few months, if not in continuous email. sort of a, "hey there, still remember you."

there were also the regular cards from Joe, who worked in a framing store and would send collaged art print promo materials as postcards. on the front, a humourous image and message, on the back his relating of recent events.

and there were my "creative writing vingettes" written on subways to and from work. take a single fictional idea and only give myself the space of the card to make it a story. i couldn't bring myself to call them short stories as they were tres short.

i also experimented with postcard templates on computers lowering the font size until i could relate a few months worth of happenstances. slap that printout on an interesting postcard sized advertizer (usually found in bars & coffee shops) and away it went. the only thing i am currently doing is printing off my digicam photos and doing the previous. now people can hear what i am doing and see what i am seeing. (Comment this)

6 - B, I have been designing and printing Post Cards at the Coach House Press since 1968. There has been a box of cards sent to us at the press on the table since then. It hasen't been updated lately though. . . I just made a new photo of the post card rack that was on the front desk of the Isaacs Gallery for many years. I pulled out early cards that would have been in the rack in the early days including a Greg Curnoe bike card and one of an enlargement of the then current 4 cent Queen stamp. The story of that Queen card's travels is in the ISAACS SEEN catalog. . .
Rick/Simon (Comment this)

7 - Hi there,

Well, guess the CBC is the place to be on summer mornings. I found the interview really interesting. I am a writer, musiciean and lover of postcards. I have a large number of them that I use all over my flat in a decorative way. I like the fact that I can change them often so I never get tired of my environmnent. I also send postcards to my boyfriend, even though we live together, as a reminder of my love for him, or to lift his spirit when he feels depressed. He does the same with me. So it has become an intimate object in a way for us.

I also like to collect art deco postcards of different cities. Or really weird ones. I have included them in some of my poems too.

I Guess you probably know about this book, but just in case, it's a graphic novel written on postcards and letters. Griffin and Sabine : An Extraordinary Correspondance by Nick Bantock.

Good luck in your research!

Meb (Comment this)

8 - Wow! Looks like lots of us were having fun listening to you this morning. I've been collecting postcards for twenty years. My husband has helped - he is an extensive traveller and the postcards he brings back are just great! The Europeans have stores dedicated to postcards and art! Nothing like what we see here. The museum postcards are fun and make a great game. Go buy them first and then see how many pieces of art you can find that you have a postcard for (Not my original idea).
Merrickville in Ontario has a postcard show every September where postcard enthusiasts are able to sell or add to their collections. I've been twice and it's very cool. I just love the postcards that people have written on for the stories and the links with history.
I've made and recieved fabric postcards, also have a wooden postcard and a cork postcard - many neat things are done with them!
I could go on and on, being a collector, I've got my share of favourites! I hope you have fun with your quest and I'll check back now and again!
Cheers, Denise (Comment this)

9 - Heard the CBC interview, just wanted to pass along this site:

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/ (Comment this)

10 - I was listening to the CBC interview this morning. I love post cards. As I travel, I am always picking up post cards to supplement my poor photography skills. I also enjoy writing home to share our adventures. My cousin and I now regularly communicate via post cards. He and his wife and child just wrote from Belgium, and we will return the favour this summer during our trip to Newfoundland.

Vern (Comment this)