It will likely take a minimum of three days for a handwritten letter sent from York to arrive in California.

That stands in contrast to an email that arrives instantly. Which would you choose?

To Becky Ladd, "the snail mailer," the choice is a no-brainer.

"You cannot physically hold onto a text and pass on its historic value to future generations," she said, ironically, in an email. "Obviously email and texting have their place, but they are usually referred to as 'cold communication' because they are often to the point or fragments of thoughts and come off as cold."

Ladd is part of a group of dedicated letter writers that call themselves the PA Mailers. They are hosting Mail Social, a letter-writing event from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg.

Much of the session will focus on pen pals and how to find them, Ladd said. In addition, the group will provide a variety of paper, typewriters, pens, and other supplies for those who want to put pen to paper. And Ladd promises "examples of mail art."

"There will be a lot of shoptalk about our hobby," she added.

Catherine Lawrence, one of the owners of Midtown Scholar, said she was surprised when the PA Mailers approached her to host its event. It chose the venerable Harrisburg bookstore for its central location, said Ladd, who is from Easton.

Others in the group hail from Pittsburgh and Lancaster, and they have letter-writing fans from Maryland and Washington, D.C., that are expected to attend.

"There has been a grass-roots campaign to get more people interested in sending mail," Ladd said. "I call it a tangible connection to the rest of the world."

The Letter Writers Alliance - at 16sparrows.com/LWA/ - is the primary site for letter-writing aficionados, Ladd said.

"Mostly people who are active in letter writing take it upon themselves to organize and host these events," she said. "We have no formal leader."

The secret to getting mail is sending it, she said. Many of the letter writers in the group send more than 30 letters and postcards per month, and connect it with crafting as well.

"This is a great hobby for me personally as I can send a little sunshine to people through their mailboxes," Ladd said.


If you go

WHAT: Mail Social

WHEN: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Midtown Scholar Bookstore Café, 1302 N. Third St., Harrisburg

COST: Free

DETAILS: Visit www.midtownscholar.com.