The Allusionist 221. Scribe
21 snips
Nov 23, 2025 Tim Brookes, a writer and the founder of the Endangered Alphabets Project, dives into the art of handwriting and its cultural significance. He candidly shares his journey from typewriters to the digital world, revealing the shame often associated with penmanship. Tim emphasizes the joy of writing by hand, exploring how it connects generations and preserves identity. He discusses the revival of endangered scripts, offering insights into playful and accessible methods to encourage handwriting for all.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Shame Over Lost Handwriting
- Tim Brookes contrasted his neat youthful handwriting with a degraded version after years on keyboards.
- He describes that transformation with shame, calling the later state "dramatic and disgusting."
Handwriting As Moral Training
- Handwriting instruction historically linked good penmanship to good behavior and discipline.
- Practices once included restraining children to eliminate large movements and enforce tiny finger motions.
Mop Calligraphy Teaching Motion
- Tim recounts a Sinologist friend making students write Chinese characters with a water-dipped mop on a courtyard.
- The exercise taught students to see writing as flow and full-body motion rather than tiny finger movements.
