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The Allusionist

67. Open Me part II

The Allusionist

Helen Zaltzman

Words, Entertainment, Education, History, Etymology, Helen Zaltzman, Linguistics, Arts

4.73.8K Ratings

🗓️ 10 November 2017

⏱️ 27 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

You’re holding a letter. What’s inside? A weather report from 5,000 miles away? Some devastating family history? A single word? A heartfelt dispatch from your past self that’s about to change the course of your life?

Find out more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/open-me-2.

The show’s online home is http://theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow.

Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionist

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Thanks to Canva for sponsoring the illusionist. In the 10 years since Canva began, it has

0:08.3

grown to offer services in over 100 languages. And Canva is freemium, so there is plenty available

0:17.2

for 0 pounds, including free libraries of video, audio, graphics, and their amazing tools,

0:25.1

magic write and magic design, which use AI to help you with your first drafts, get you

0:31.2

through the creative block, whew, because it's easier to start from something than from

0:36.6

a blank page. I put in a few writing prompts and, well, if Canva learns to speak, I think

0:43.4

I can just hand over hosting this show to it entirely. Also, if you and your colleagues

0:48.8

are working together, your human colleagues, that is, you can design and collaborate with

0:53.4

Canva for teams. Right now, you can get a free 45 day extended trial when you go to Canva.me-illusionist.

1:03.4

That's C-A-N-V-A.me-slashillusionist for a free 45 day extended trial. Canva.me-illusionist.

1:24.4

This is the illusionist, in which I, Helen Zaltzman, confiscate languages, selfie stick,

1:30.4

and snap it over my knee. Following last episode's letter pollusa, today, we're rummaging through

1:36.4

the post bag, but not my own post bag. Warning! There are three category B-swares in this

1:44.4

video. Prepare yourselves accordingly. Okay, let's rip open some envelopes on with the show.

1:58.4

Oh gosh. I think, you know, the value first and foremost is, I think touching something that

2:06.4

someone else touched and wrote and thought about and sent. I'm struck now by the effort it takes to

2:13.4

actually write and send a letter that's always been the case, but it now that we do it so

2:19.4

infrequently, it's that much more effort. I'd still receive letters in the mail, but many fewer than I used to,

2:26.4

but the kind of glee and excitement of getting a letter is something unparalleled by any sort of digital

2:36.4

misive that comes through. This is Julie Shapiro, the executive producer of radio topia and a keen

2:42.4

letter writer. Well, she tries to be. It can be hard to find the time, but I've seen some pages of the

2:47.4

ledger she was keeping a few years ago noting all letters sent and received, and she is an

...

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