Something Understood

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BBC Radio 4 LW

Religion & Ethics

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life, taking a spiritual theme and exploring it through music, prose and poetry

BBC Radio 4 FM

Something Understood: The Art of Correspondence

Embracing the Classical

The Art of Correspondence

BBC Radio 4 - Something Understood, The Art of Correspondence

Mark Tully investigates the art of correspondence, from beautiful letters to pithy emails.

With the growth of social media, Mark Tully asks if the art of correspondence is thriving - or if we take less care over the composition of our letters, emails, tweets and texts?

Mark Tully examines the pleasures of correspondence - from beautiful letters to ever increasing opportunities for conversations on social networks, via texts, emails and among those who develop a brilliant gift for talking on the telephone. 
 
In conversation with journalist and writer Simon Garfield, he investigates whether the skill of communicating at a remove is on the wane or whether we are actually corresponding as never before. 
 
And, above all, he celebrates the letter.
 
There are readings from writers as varied as Carol Ann Duffy, Dylan Thomas and Clementine Churchill, and there’s music from Samuel Barber, Fats Waller and Benjamin Britten.
 
The readers are Cyril Nri, Francis Cadder and Jane Whittenshaw.
 
Presenter: Mark Tully
 
Producer: Frank Stirling
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