Kay Cora Jewett

A while ago, I mentioned in this column that I am unhappy about cursive handwriting’s seemingly imminent demise. I am mentioning it again because I continue to feel the need to express what a loss this truly is. My grade school English teachers, long gone, are no doubt spinning in their graves. It would have shocked them into apoplexy to learn that cursive writing, our centuries-old and once sole method of communication, has been abandoned and is no longer taught in many of our schools.

My 11-year-old granddaughter, currently in sixth grade, cannot decipher my messages to her. Things as simple as birthday wishes, Christmas greetings or anything in between leave her scratching her head. Fortunately, I was able to convince my older granddaughter to learn cursive by showing her how beautiful and authentic it can be, as well as how much faster and more practical it is than printing. She now translates for her sister.

In my view, the absence of cursive writing in our school curriculum is madness. Who decided this? What dunderhead was able to talk educators into making such a lastingly destructive choice? Writing is difficult to teach, so maybe teachers grew tired of the challenge. I don’t know the answer, but whatever the reason, it was not a good decision. Consider a few of the repercussions: How can we be sure that what we leave behind in terms of our personal stories and histories will survive? What about our collective history? Winston Churchill’s letters provide a personal perspective on his leadership during WWII, and Emily Dickinson’s letters give us a personal glimpse into her development as a person and a poet. And what about the letters written by biblical figures that gave us the stories of the Bible?

There are many more examples of important handwritten documents, and they are crucial parts of our history. Are we going to leave the personal recording of that history to the computer — an untrustworthy machine that can crash and delete important information without warning? One that is temperamental, subject to being wiped clean, and now suspected of developing a mind of its own — a mind that could allow it to decide to rewrite history as it sees fit.

Research suggests that cursive writing is beneficial for cognitive development, improves fine motor skills and enhances memory retention (information courtesy of The National Education Association). Those are good reasons to continue using it, but if you’re not convinced, consider this: As a writer, I know the act of writing is a direct hand-to-brain, brain-to-hand communication. The physical and mental infuse each other with a creative connection, and the connection is real. If you take that away, your writing is less powerful and less of a reflection of yourself. Many writers write the first drafts of their novels in cursive on a yellow notepad. There’s a reason for that, and the reason is that the writing is more powerful and authentic. Consider that J.K. Rowling, Joyce Carl Oates, Stephen King, Danielle Steel and many other authors write their drafts in longhand.

I’ll leave you with this observation from author Arthur Morgan: “There’s something about putting pen to paper, about the feel of the ink on the page that makes a man think clearer.” The line captures Morgan’s preference for writing in longhand, highlighting the sense of reflection and personal connection that comes with traditional writing. The question is, do we really want to lose such a valuable asset, as well as one that is so necessary to preserving our history?

Haiku poet Anne Fox captures the spirit of the argument in a concise way with this poem:

Old love letter––

The sensuous curve 

of cursive.

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