May 1, 2013

Do you use "cursive" when you write?

Cursive. That word always seemed odd to me. I don't think that's what they called it when I was growing up. In those days, it was "script" rather than cursive. But whatever it was called, I hated it (especially when a nun hit my hand with a ruler because she didn't like the way I did it).

The NYT is having a virtual discussion of the values of cursive. (That's how they say it: cursive. Not even "cursive writing". I am so uncomfortable with this term.) There are various opinions on its value. Here's a link to the one I agree with.

It was nice to learn from this handwriting expert that the way I write is the preferred way: a combination of print and script. I always thought I was damaged goods for writing that way, but Kate Gladstone says:
The fastest, clearest handwriters join only some letters: making the easiest joins, skipping others, using print-like forms of letters whose cursive and printed forms disagree. 
So I'm not damaged goods. I'm a "fast, clear" handwriter. Hooray! Are you comfortable writing in script (cursive)? And do you use the combination writing just described? Honestly, give me a keyboard and take my pen away forever. But it's nice to see an "expert" say that cursive is unimportant. I think that's progress.

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