Once, when I had filled every page of a journal I wrote in, I decided to make the leap into keeping a journal on my computer. I thought that it would be equal to the paper journal, and I wouldn’t have to worry about losing it if the new electronic journal stayed tucked away safely in the cloud.
I think I made three entries before I switched back to paper.
In Josh Cacopado’s recent essay “Pen on Paper: Defense of Writing” he argues: “Just like the uniqueness of our bodies and minds, no two people have the same handwriting. Eliminating script would be as detrimental to life as eliminating faces, robbing us of the fullness of our own unique arsenal of self-expression.”
I find Mr. Cacopado’s argument convincing, yet it raises further questions:
In what ways will electronic writing overtake handwriting?
Do you agree that handwriting is embodied?
Is there a way that electronic writing could ever be embodied? What about digital pens that save your handwriting electronically?
Is an electronic and manual writing convergence necessary, or will our culture loose the art of handwriting?
