PM: I love that each card that comprises an issue becomes instantly collectible. For me, part of the appeal is seeing my name appear in print alongside the USPS bar code and the wavy lines, knowing that my card is unlike any other card out there. That my own personal history becomes a part of the collaboration. Each issue can be read multiple ways, but when you add all the recipients into the mix of possible interpretations, then the number of meanings becomes exponential, potentially infinite. Did you have any awareness of the viral nature of the postcards when you launched Abe’s Penny?

AK: When a person takes time to enjoy the cards, to go back and read the previous ones each time a new card arrives, to appreciate the hand-written address and all of the possible interpretations—this is when Abe’s Penny starts to make an impact we’re proud of. I mean, that’s why anyone does anything creative, I’d say.

TK: It was important to me to have a human touch on each card, which is one of the reasons we hand write each address and hand place each stamp. We were aware of the effects of the postal service – that the stamps would be canceled and that the back of the cards would be littered with markings from the post office and the environment in which they travel. We were surprised that other people found those markings important, too. It’s nice to know that our audience appreciates elements we consider vital.