Pen pal

Pen pals (or penpals or pen friends) are people who regularly write to each other, particularly via postal mail.

Purposes

A penpal relationship is often used to practice writing and reading in a foreign language, improving literacy, to learn more about other countries and life-styles, and to ameliorate loneliness. As with any friendships in life, some people remain penpals for only a short time, while others continue to exchange letters and presents life-long. Some penpals eventually arrange to meet face to face.

Penpals come in all ages, nationalities and cultures. Pals may seek new penfriends based on their own age group, a specific occupation, hobby, or select someone totally different from them to gain knowledge about the world around them. Being part of a penpal network can be a way to gain a valuable understanding of the world, and an appreciation for cultures and lifestyles very different to your own.

Many people writing to a penpal are not using their native language in their letters.

A modern variation on the traditional penpal arrangement is to have a keypal and exchange email addresses as well as or instead of paper letters. This has the advantage of saving money, but also the disadvantage that the communication is very ephemeral. Many people prefer to receive paper letters, gaining the satisfaction of seeing their name carefully printed on a thick envelope in the letterbox. Using postal mail, it is possible to trade postcards, stamps and anything else light and flat enough to fit inside an envelope.

Penpal clubs can be found on the Internet, in magazine columns, newspapers, and sometimes through clubs or special interest groups. Some people are looking for romantic interests, while others just want to find friends. Penpals also make and pass around friendship books, slams and crams.

In recent years, penpal correspondence with prison inmates has gained acceptance on the Internet. Most pen pal newsletters do not publish prison pen pal ads because these communications require more caution, not simple friendships. Penpal ads from thousands of male and female prisoners throughout the world can be found at the non-profit website Friends4Lifers.com - this is free for everyone (including the prisoners) to use, which is unusual.

Organizations

Many penpals meet each other through organizations that bring people together for this purpose.

One such organization is International Youth Service in Finland, which has been providing penpals for children (usually via foreign-language teachers and classes) since 1952. Another is International Pen Friends, established in 1967, which serves people of all ages.

Another is Human Writes through which people all over the world correspond with prisoners on U.S. Death Row (although corresponding with prisoners is popular, care should be taken to follow the rules—see External links, below).

The Australian author Geraldine Brooks wrote a memoir entitled Foreign Correspondence, (1997) about her childhood, which was enriched by her exchanges of letters with other children both in Australia and overseas and her travels as an adult in search of the people they had become.

Back in the 1970s, syndicated children's television program Big Blue Marble often invited viewers to write to them for their own pen pal.

On another children's TV show, Pee-wee's Playhouse, Pee-wee Herman would oftentimes receive pen pal letters.

External links

Penpals in general

• Speakmania - Penpals for language exchange
• Hands Across the World
• International Youth Service - penpals for children and FL students
• International Pen Friends (IPF) - pen pals for individuals and school classes
• International Pen Friends - penpals for all ages
• friend SHACK - free penpals worldwide for everyone
• Friendship by Mail - Articles written by pals for pals.
• Six Billion Earthlings - Forum to meet penfriends.

Penpals for prisoners

• Friends4Lifers - prison penpals all over the world, a non-profit site
• Human Writes - penpals on Death Row
• PrisonerLife.com - tips on writing to prisoners
• Women Doing Time - tips on writing to female prisoners