13.1.10

Pencil Pusher

Today in Literary Journalism, I presented my idea of a story: that I would try and go through the whole semester turning in only handwritten homework.  I could use my computer for research and I was thinking even drafts, but the final product had to be handwritten.  I'm curious as to whether it would be even possible for a student who was perhaps religiously against computers, for example, to even get through college without one.  I doubt it.  And that raises a question for me as to why that is.  I'm sure fifty years ago everyone was just a superhero who could handwrite 80 words a minute, spellcheck and fact check and proofread and research just as much as we do today.  Or not.

I'm not going to do that, unless it was for a week or something.  But I think it's a neat thing to think about.  At least for me.

5 comments:

Justin Jones said...

It is a neat thing to think about. I wonder if people fifty years ago got a lot of hand cramps from writing 80 wpm...or maybe the muscles they used to write were stronger so they didnt...or maybe they did and their pain threshold was higher...this makes me think of evolution...and how Darwin was wrong...because at least in this respect we are "devolving," and if somehow all of a sudden computers were to disappear, we would be seriously disadvantaged compared to those from fifty years ago...and they would do better in college than us...which means they would get the better jobs...and then the better access to food and water...and therefore natural selection would be on their side...and we would all die....

ok, not really sure where this long, dumb, random comment came from...but I just couldnt stop.

good thoughts chrees, I think your story is a good idea.

Nicholas said...

Sometimes I miss knowing what people's handwriting looks like. In grade school I knew what all my classmates' handwriting looked like from trading/grading other kids' papers and stuff. But now I don't know what my closest friends handwriting looks like.

TaraB said...

Dang! What Nick said is so true! I know your handwriting though Chrees... it's nice. Real pretty :)

PS. Stop studying and come watch West Wing!

Unknown said...

Chrees, I miss you, friend. I like your ideas and words. Interesting thoughts you've invoked in the others as well.

Also, West Wing is a good show. I like that too.

Paz.

Ben Schnell said...

Hmmmm. It would give your work a personal, intimate quality in a sense. I wonder how it would affect the writing process, since it takes longer to get the words down, but maybe not very much since drafts would still be on the computer...