Local club keeps letter writing alive

Addison Rogers loves mail. So much so he totes stationary, pens and stamps around Bloomington, trying to keep the hand-written word alive.

He’s the founder of the Bloomington Correspondence Club, a group dedicated to the writing and sending of letters and postcards.  

“It’s awesome to get any sort of mail,” Rogers said.

The group meets every Tuesday and Thursday. Some days, it will meet at Runcible Spoon, sometimes at Soma Coffee House and Juice Bar.

He said it depends on where he wants to meet that day.

“I do it in public so that people will see it,” Rogers said. “I welcome anyone ... including passersby.”

With a ready smile and easy banter, Rogers said he understands it takes more for letter-writing to feel accessible to many people.

He’s planned accordingly.

At each meeting, two vintage-looking brief cases — one tweed, one leather — are opened to display an eclectic assortment of stationery, postcards, trading cards, envelopes and stamps Rogers has curated.

A mug of writing utensils sits in the middle of the table.

All supplies, excluding stamps, are free.

Drew Wehrle, who attended a meeting Jan. 21, noted the ease Rogers gives sending mail.

“Getting stamps is one of the things that is hard about sending mail,” Wehrle said.

Rogers said he agreed.

“Some people have trouble just getting the letter in the mailbox,” Rogers said.  

Since the group relies on Facebook hits and word-of-mouth to bring in members, the meetings attract small groups.

Four people attended the club meeting Jan. 21. It was coincidence that Ryan Randall attended.

“I saw them over at Soma, and then I found them on Facebook,” Randall said. “I saw them, and I thought, ‘I immediately need to do this.’”

Randall carries an Altoids can of stamps, should he happen upon a postcard he can’t wait to send.

He said he plans to regularly attend meetings.

So does Megan McGrath, who has attended meetings since December.

McGrath said she uses the meetings to keep in touch with friends and family members she’s left behind as she’s moved a lot.

“It’s — I don’t want to say the least intimidating way — but it’s a way of keeping in touch with people that’s always nice,” McGrath said. “One time I sent my friend the contents of my pocket, and she was thrilled.”

It’s not just the contents of the mail that is unusual. Often, who the mail is sent to and where it goes is a story in itself.

One postcard was sent to “The Price Is Right” host Bob Barker and a letter was sent to Lithuania.

Because of the variety of mail destinations, Rogers has become something of an expert on postage pricing.

“I learned for $1.10 you can send anything up to one ounce anywhere in the world,” Rogers said.

“I guess I’ve always wanted to know this kind of information.”

Although his Facebook page and word-of-mouth have generated a small turnout to the club meetings so far, Rogers said he hopes for more.  

“There have been a few times it’s been slow,” Rogers said.

Even so, a meeting on Dec. 17 brought in 35 pieces of mail, and one woman wrote 10 Christmas cards that week for the club to mail.

Rogers said he hopes the club grows, continuing to generate publicity by making buttons and stationery with a club letterhead.

“I don’t think it could ever get too big,” Rogers said.

When Wehrle finished his letter Tuesday, he stuffed it into an envelope Rogers’ collection had provided.

The envelope was blue and small, designed to look like the top part of a pair of blue jeans.

He bought a stamp for the letter and handed it to Rogers to mail.

“Thank you,” Wehrle said. “It was wonderful.”

Follow reporter Lyndsay Jones on Twitter @lyndsayjonesy.