handwriting

Dave, I once was introduced to a guy whose profession was psychoanalysis through handwriting analysis and modification – he supposedly could cure your psychological ills by modifying your handwriting. He reeked of fraud, but maybe not all such specialists do.

(And maybe he did do some good. Psycho-whatevers can effect cures by doing anything or nothing while the patient changes himself. Not all faith healing is religious.)

My own handwriting is relatively precise and clear, and has been since I was about 25. As I've certainly related here before, my handwriting was changed radically by one guy, the sf artist Jack Gaughan. He introduced me to the italic fountain pen. You can't write sloppily with it; you'll just tear up the paper. And once the pen has changed your handwriting, it's still changed even without the italic nib. (Though my handwriting still goes to scrawl with a ballpoint. I never use one.)

I don't think changing my handwriting from illegible to artistic changed my personality. But would I know? That's about the time my ambitions shifted from scientific to literary, so maybe there was an effect. (Or maybe the cause-and-effect went the other way. An italic nib robbed the world of a mediocre scientist and gave it a science fiction writer.)

First day of class for Science Fiction Writing today. It's pretty crowded.

Joe