This zine has been such a life-giving project for me, and it's helped me to connect with so many people across the U.S. and Canada. I've been looking for a way to expand this beyond just the quarterly zine, and inspiration has come from two places.
First, I bought a typewriter recently (did I tell you that?) and it's been such a gift writing to friends and sending letters through the mail. I don't know why, but getting a piece of mail aside from the normal garbage that comes is one of life's greatest joys for me.
Second, I have a Catholic friend who started a snail mail club and it's really taken off. I think people are hungry for more analog, slow connection points with real humans.
Instead of ads in my mailbox created by artificial intelligence, I want encouragement in my mailbox created by organic intelligence.
So, let's see if we can do it.
What if The Desert Call started a monthly snail club (witty name still TBD)? For, let's say, $10 a month, you get an envelope that includes something like the following:
A photocopied, typewritten letter that has a spiritual reflection and a writing prompt
A postcard or small card & envelope so you can do the writing prompt and send it to a friend (pay it forward)
Something like a small prayer card or icon card
A sticker or other small print
I know I would look forward to getting that in the mail every month! We can even set up a super-subscription so that you get the monthly envelope and the quarterly zine.
Leave a comment or send me a personal message if it's something you'd be interested in. I have everything already to do the first round. I could even set it up as a one-off shop item here to do a test round for feedback.