Can't Find a Postcard in Shanghai

choi

史蒂芬·R·凯利, 为何在中国难觅一张明信片. (观点)
cn.nytimes.com/opinion/20150604/c04kelly/

, which is translated from

Stephen R Kelly, Why It’s Almost Impossible to Find a Postcard in China. Paris: International New York Times, June 3, 2015 (op-ed).
www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/opinion/find-a-postcard-in-china.html

Note:
(a) "During a * * * Peace Corps tour in Africa, I learned to use an italic pen — the kind calligraphers use — and decent stationery to communicate with friends and family. The habit has stuck."
(i) There is no dictionary with the definition of "italic pen" or "calligraphy pen"--because there are several designs to suit the purposes at hand (which can vary).
(ii) dip pen
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dip_pen
(dip pens have no ink reservoir [so a writer has to dip the pen in ink])

section 3 Use: "Dip pens are rarely used now for regular writing, most commonly having been replaced by fountain pens, rollerball pens, or ballpoint pens. However, dip pens are still appreciated by artists, as they can make great differences between thick and thin lines, and generally write more smoothly than other types of pens. Dip pens are also preferred by calligraphers for fine writing.

(iii) Regardless (whether the pen has ink reservoir or not), calligraphy is written with a specialized tool: pen.
(iv) Generally speaking, italic is written with a specialized pen at a 45-degree angle. See Master Italic Pen. Manuscript (company), undated (video as a commercial).
www.calligraphy.co.uk/shop/master-italic-pen.html
(v) An Italiac pen can even be held at a 20-degree angle. See an illustration in

Souverän® M 800 Italic. Pelikan, undated
www.pelikan.com/pulse/Pulsar/en_ ... veraen-m-800-italic(
("As a Special Edition, Pelikan launches the popular model 800 of the Souverän series with an Italic nib in July 2010. * * * The nib [point of the pen] will be marked as IB (Italic broad) and the broadest line width corresponds to approximately 1.5mm")
(vi) The following shows, through illustrations, oblique nib and Hebrew nib. The Nibsmith, undated.
nibsmith.com/nib-services/

The Web page also explains "round" nib, "stub" nib and "sharp Italic" nib (contrast "cursive Italic" nib) without the benefit of an illustration. See next.
(vii) A Guide to Nibs - the Basics and Beyond. The Repairer's Bench, undated
repairersbench.blogspot.com/2011/11/guide-to-nibs-basics-and-beyond.html
(The third illustration has the heading "Common nib tipping shapes"--displaying the profile, or side view, of the nib: "round (normal), "stub," "crisp Italic" and "cursive Italic")

(b) "It’s [A postcard is] short and sweet, no heavy messaging required, the Twitter of a block-print age. And who doesn’t enjoy finding a handwritten missive among the supermarket fliers and other invasive species that swarm our mailboxes?"
(i) For "block-print," see history of printing
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_printing
(section 1 Woodblock printing: Block printing)
(ii) flier = circular (both nouns)

(c) "You want some L-shaped angle-iron brackets, for a little home project? Sure. French perfume? Check. A kilo bag of mung beans? No problem. But postcards? No way."
(i) For "angle iron," see structural steel
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_steel
(both the illustration and section 1 show "angle" or 90 degrees)
(ii) bracket (architecture)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracket_(architecture)
(iii) Mung bean
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mung_bean