I record drafts of poem, essay, and prose in hardcover, lined, journal books. I write in a fluid, cursive longhand with a fountain pen. The drafts are streams of consciousness, but not always. Sometimes, an observation, a new-found word, or a newspaper article triggers the flow of inked words. I return to these pieces and cross out, add to, or scrawl on whatever white space remains on the page. I become satisfied that substance is building, and traipse over to my computer. There the clicking and the clacking of transcription takes place. It becomes more permanent.I have three-and-a-half journals filled with variations on various themes. They are shelved when there aren't any pages left to fill, waiting for my jottings to be further transferred to my computer.
What will happen to these journals? Will anyone want them? The journals are, after all, written in cursive longhand with a fountain pen whose ink will bleed across words if spilled upon. What if that future someone doesn't know how to read handwriting? Doesn't understand the four keys to legibility: letter size, shape, slant, and spacing? And, gasp! what if they construe the writing as illegible? As hieroglyphics?
There is a declining emphasis on handwriting in schools. Some teachers don't know how to teach penmanship, others emphasize content over style. Many students learn to print, but do not learn how to join scripted letters. Emphasis is placed on type recognition. Cursive is an option. Educators don't know how to fit handwriting into loaded curriculums. State legislators and Boards of Education are, too, caught up in the discussion. So are students, the recipients of learning to write in script.
In a front-page article dated January 31, 2013, Wall Street Journal journalist Valerie Bauerlein headlined this topic "The New Script for Teaching Handwriting Is No Script at All." It was chilling to read "that children will no longer be able to read the Declaration of Independence or birthday cards from their parents." Whether it's viewed as an art or communication form, or part of an educational standard, cursive writing is still an invaluable skill as noted in the January 16, 2013, issue of The Week, and blogger, Beverly Rivera, lists even more handwriting benefits.
Did you know John Hancock's birthday (January 23) is designated as National Handwriting Day? Check this out on The History Channel: History.Do you write in cursive? Do you enjoy receiving written notes in your mailbox? Do you think handwriting is important? Let me know.
I received penmanship instruction through the 5th grade but it lacked seriousness; as a result, it was never good. My penmanship deteriorated thereafter to the point that my handwriting became illegible. One day, as a sophomore in high school, my exasperated English teacher ordered me to print. It slowed me down greatly, but little by little, a legible version of cursive evolved from my hand. It has been a joy since then to write in cursive, and I do so with a fountain pen whenever I can.
ReplyDeleteRB
I delight in happy endings. You had to hit the bottom of legibility to find our way back to true penmanship. If you're interested, Google handwriting to see how many entries there are on this topic. Before I leave, RB, I noted you use a fountain pen––oh my! That instrument can vastly improve the artistic quality of your writing.
ReplyDeleteDonna,
DeleteI enjoyed your take on cursive. I remember my two girls trying to pronounce the word and the pride they took in mastering (somewhat) the art of writing in cursive. The only person I know who still writes in cursive is an 80 year old Franciscan Nun who was the principal of an elementary school. You and your fountain pen writing down invaluable comments ... now that's something worth remembering and keeping close to the heart.
Dear Anonymous Thank you for your comments. I hope your daughters still write in cursive. Get thee (them) a fountain pen, fill it with whatever gem color you love (get an armload), and bring its rewards into your (their) life. It sounds dramatic, I know, but writing in cursive with a fountain pen can and does make everyone's handwriting look fabulous. Your 80-year-old friend wouldn't have it any other way if she'd ever had the choice.
DeleteI remember being so excited to go to the third grade because there I would learn cursive. It was a rite of passage into adulthood, so I haven't abandoned my loopy letters, though they resemble the method I was taught less and less. I write faster in cursive and I think it's pretty.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maxie, for your memory. Even though we all click-clack these days, stay true to your roots of cursive. You are absolutely right: writing in cursive is faster than printing, cursive is lovely, it builds spatial, visual, and coordination skills, and trains the brain to be mindful of what is being written, therefore less mistakes. Cursive writing might become a marketplace commodity just as calligraphy is today.
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