The loop of an "l," the chewed-on pen, letters tiny or expansive: what we've lost in the error of typing and texting
When Philip Hensher realized that he didn't know what a close friend's handwriting looked like, he felt that something essential was missing from their friendship. It dawned on him that having abandoned pen and paper for keyboards, we have lost one of the ways by which we come to recognize and know another person: handwriting.
"The Missing Ink "tells the story of this endangered art. Hensher introduces us to the nineteenth-century handwriting evangelists who traveled across America to convert the masses to the moral worth of copperplate script; he examines the role handwriting plays in the novels of Charles Dickens; he investigates the claims made by the practitioners of graphology that penmanship can reveal personality.
But this is also a celebration of the physical act of writing: the treasured fountain pens, chewable ballpoints, and personal embellishments that we stand to lose. Hensher pays tribute to the warmth and personality of the handwritten love note, postcards sent home, and daily diary entries. With the teaching of handwriting now required in only five states and many expert typists barely able to hold a pen, the future of handwriting is in jeopardy. Or is it? Hugely entertaining, witty, and thought-provoking, "The Missing Ink "will inspire readers to pick up a pen and write.

Filling in geometric shapes with a continuous colored pencil line prepares students in the Montessori Primary Casa, or classroom for three to six year olds, for cursive handwriting. My Montessori Coloring Book of Shapes helps children refine and perfect their fine motor control while simultaneously reinforcing what is practiced in the Casa. Written and illustrated by AMI Primary Diploma holder Mary Da Prato, My Montessori Coloring Book of Shapes defines Montessori prerequisites for successful handwriting that can be implemented at home.

Throughout the East, writing is held to be a gift from the gods, and the divinely inspired letters and characters are objects of the highest veneration. The religious significance of calligraphy has thus led to a unique development of the art of brush and ink in Japan, China, India, and Tibet. This beautifully illustrated book covers such topics as the history and spirit of Eastern calligraphy, the art of copying religious texts, the biographies of important Zen calligraphers, and practical instructions on materials and techniques for the contemporary student. No knowledge of the languages discussed is required for the reader to appreciate the study of this ancient practice.

John Stevens lived in Japan for thirty-five years, where he was a professor of Buddhist studies at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai. Stevens is a widely respected translator, an ordained Buddhist priest, a curator of several major exhibitions of Zen art, and an aikido instructor. He has authored over thirty books and is one of the foremost Western experts on Aikido, holding a ranking of 7th dan Aikikai. Stevens has also studied calligraphy for decades, authoring this classic "Sacred Calligraphy of the East." Other John Stevens titles that are likely to be of interest include "The Philosophy of Aikido, Extraordinary Zen Masters, " and "The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei."

Calligraphy means "beautiful writing," and this book will show you how to do it. All you have to do is follow the easy, trace and copy examples! This how-to, beginner's instruction book is written mainly with "creative kids" in mind (age 10 and up) but will help anyone of any age to develop skill in this art! The book, penned entirely in a calligraphic hand, begins with an explanation of how to select the right pens, inks, and paper. Next, it introduces you to the Italic alphabet, a beautiful and highly versatile alphabet. After that, there are sections on Blackletter (particularly useful for certificates) and drawn letters. The book ends with an impressive list of creative projects the reader can work on. This is a simple, straight-forward and profusely illustrated calligraphy practice book. The author, Jim Bennett, wrote Calligraphy For Dummies and is also the founder of the Calligraphy WebRing. His website is www.studioarts.net.

This is the astonishing story of North Carolinian John McLean Harrington, a maverick journalist who before and during the Civil War handwrote up to a hundred copies of each issue of his own various newspapers. As cultural and military battle lines were drawn across the South, Harrington, while postmaster in Harnett County, "blogged" in longhand about everything from the plight of slaves to unrequited love, international relations, and technology. He became an outspoken dilettante journalist, a defender of press freedom, and one of the nation's most productive longhand journalists. Includes photos and accompanying transcriptions of two complete issues of Harrington's papers.

THE AUTHORS

Michael Ray Smith, Ph.D., is an award-winning journalist, photographer, and author of many articles and five books, including "FeatureWriting.Net." He has been quoted in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and Editor & Publisher. He teaches at Campbell University -- a few miles from the book's setting. Roy Alden Atwood (Introduction) is president and senior fellow of New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho. Quentin J. Schultze (Preface) is the Arthur H. DeKruyter chair and professor of communication at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

ENDORSEMENTS

"Smith has unearthed a gem of media history." -- Dr. Stephen Perry, editor of "Mass Communication and Society" and Professor of Communication, Illinois State U

"Thoroughly analyzes the context within which journalism's version of 'John Henry' was played out with nary a witness. Harrington's character is revealed humanly with neither romanticism nor cynicism." -- Dr. Richard K. Olsen, Chair, Communication Studies, U of North Carolina, Wilmington

"A well-researched and well-written story of a little-known but compelling aspect of the history of journalism, an ode to handwriting as a unique form of communication and a fascinating case study." -- Dr. Elliot King, Professor of Communication, Loyola U Maryland

"Smith explores Harrington the reporter, poet, political commentator, and wit, illuminating a corner of Civil War era North Carolina that few have visited." -- Dr. John P. Ferre', Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences, U of Louisville

"Smith's careful reading of North Carolina's freehand publisher extends our understanding of how the news got out in a time of unparalleled national peril." -- Dr. Bruce J. Evensen, Director, MA in Journalism Program, DePaul U

"This wonderfully written story captures Harrington as a citizen journalist, aggregator, poet, politico, and scribe. It will be of lively interest to historians of communication, newspapers, the Civil War, and Southern culture." -- Dr. James T. Hamilton, Charles S. Sydnor Professor of Public Policy, and Director, DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy, Duke U

"A fascinating and comprehensively documented discussion of North Carolina newspapers handwritten by a maverick, Civil War era journalist. Smith perceptively analyzes the underappreciated value of print journalism without a printing press." -- Dr. Douglas S. Campbell, Lock Haven U of PA, author "The Supreme Court and the Mass Media" and "Free Press v. Fair Trial"

"Highly readable and reveals a part of American journalism that needs to come to light. Harrington's free press shows the spirit of a vibrant medium with the power to shape America's future." -- Dr. Dennis E. Hensley, Director, Professional Writing Division, Taylor U

"The book shows that Harrington's papers are an early form of blogging and New Journalism which involved the readers in bridging the oral and literary traditions in the two-year prelude to the Civil War." -- Dr. Paul Alfred "Alf" Pratte, Emeritus Professor of Journalism, Brigham Young U

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

Calligraphy, the art of elegant, beautiful lettering, has increased in popularity over the last several years. From brides who want to address their wedding invitations to do-it-yourselfers who want to prepare certificates or make a family tree, and even for art journalers and scrapbookers who like creative text in their works, calligraphy books and classes are hot.This new-in-paperback book will spark the interest of the calligraphy novice by introducing a new approach to lettering, one that combines a lively combination of traditional lettering styles, fun and scripty modern styles, and artsy street-style lettering, along with project ideas that incorporate creative lettering.The book demonstrates the uses of traditional and cutting edge lettering tools, from classic calligraphy pens to bling-producing metallic foils and glue pens. It introduces a wide array of lettering styles with complete alphabets sample artworks that show an application. Fully stepped-out illustrations break down each letterform, taking the reader through each stroke and a large collection of gallery images provides further inspiration for how to use creative lettering in artwork.

This fully illustrated coursebook provides a comprehensive description of the history and practical techniques of Chinese calligraphy. No previous knowledge of the language is required to follow the text or complete the lessons. The work covers three major areas: 1) descriptions of Chinese characters and their components, including stroke types, layout patterns, and indications of sound and meaning; 2) basic brush techniques and the art of composing calligraphy pieces; and 3) the social, cultural, historical, and philosophical underpinnings of Chinese calligraphy--all of which are crucial to understanding and appreciating this art form. Students practice brush writing as they progress from tracing to copying to freehand writing. Model characters are marked to indicate meaning and stroke order, and well-known model phrases are shown in various script types, allowing students to practice different calligraphic styles. Beginners will find the author's advice on how to avoid common pitfalls in writing brush strokes invaluable. Chinese Writing and Calligraphy will be welcomed by both students and instructors in need of an accessible text on learning the fundamentals of the art of writing Chinese calligraphy.

We are each distinctive individuals with unique styles of writing. Our handwriting is a tangible extension of our inner selves. Have you ever wondered what your handwriting says about you? With a basic understanding of handwriting analysis you can discover more about yourself and those around you. Graphology is the analysis of a handwriting sample. Graphologists can tell when someone is loyal, excitable or hiding something just from slight nuances in writing. Would you like to learn to do this too? Once you know the basics you will never look at handwriting in the same way again. With Analyze Your Handwriting, you can learn the fundamental skills necessary to determine if you will be compatible with another person, if someone is trustworthy and individual personality characteristics. It is an exciting, fun tool that you can use on a daily basis.

An Introduction to Greek and Latin Palaeography traces the development of handwriting in the Greek and Latin alphabets from the earliest papyri up to the book hands of the middle ages and the court hands of the seventeenth century. It is, without doubt, the best introductory text on the subject ever to appear in English. This edition has been completely reset, and the illustrations have been digitally enhanced. A few illustrations have been replaced. Sir Edward Maunde Thompson (1840-1929) entered University College, Oxford, in 1859 but had to leave before completing his degree. He entered the library of the British Museum (now British Library) in 1861 and became Keeper of Manuscripts in 1878. He was appointed Principal Librarian in 1888.

Chinese characters are written with "strokes" of a brush. The HanABC system has classified these different types of strokes using 24 Roman letters. Anyone who knows the proper stroke writing order of a character and the HanABC stroke classification system can write the "Romanization" of that character. Since the Roman alphabet has an established and well known order, HanABC has adopted this alphabetical order to sort Chinese information. This book includes the HanABC Romanizations for 14,515 Chinese characters. HanABC does not require a person to know the traditional radical, the number of strokes or the phonetics of a character. HanABC requires minimal rules, while still efficiently encoding the entirety of Chinese characters. HanABC facilitates quick and easy search in a sorted list. Thus, HanABC would be very well suited to sort dictionaries and telephone books, to index any book, or even for typing Chinese at a computer keyboard.

1917. John Robert Gregg, a student of various shorthand systems, developed the most prolific method. He first introduced his system in 1888 in the pamphlet Light-Line Phonography published in Liverpool, England. In 1893, he published Gregg Shorthand in the United States. It was soon taught in public schools throughout the United States and adapted to several languages. The Gregg system modeled the mechanics and positioning of traditional writing and is still widely practiced today.

Begin your voyage into this ancient style of watercolor painting with this georgeous introduction. Learn everything you need to know, from the essential materials and techniques to mounting a completed painting. A selection of classic motifs, freom enchanting flowers to captivating creatures, is accompanied by informative and inspirational textt that guides you through the creative process. With this unique and accesible approach, anyone can experience The Ch'i of the Brush.

This classic essay, a most provocative work by one of the foremost exponents of beautiful letters, includes marginal glosses written by the great calligrapher, Ray DaBoll.

Contents Include: WRITING AND ILLUMINATING: The Development of Writing Acquiring a Formal Hand, Tools, Methods, Models, Practice Manuscript Books Versal Letters and Coloured Capitals Black and Red Laying and Burnishing Gold The Use of Gold and Colours in Initial Letters and Simple Illumination A Theory of Illumination The Development of Illumination "Design in Illumination" LETTERING: Good Lettering Some Methods of Construction and Arrangement The Roman Alphabet and its Derivatives Special Subjects Inscriptions in Stone Notes on the Collotype Plates The Collotype Plates

Take a second look at the cover of this book--this time, turn it upside down. The title, "Wordplay," is an ambigram, which means you will be able to read it both right side up and upside down.
You may be familiar with the John Langdon's ambigrams from Dan Brown's bestseller "Angels & Demons" (see pages 186 and 188 of "Wordplay"), but if this is your first experience with the art of the ambigram, prepare to be dazzled! This lovely updated edition of the classic collection of ambigrams features a section of full-color ambigrams and dozens of stunning, mind-bending examples of this cryptic art form. Each strikingly beautiful and arresting illustration is accompanied by a short essay--sometimes serious, sometimes witty--to delight your brain as much as your eyes. Taken together, the art and the essays show how the very shape of letters can change our idea of words and their meanings. As Dan Brown says in the Foreword of this revised edition, John Langdon brilliantly rearranges the familiar, casting it in a new light.
Both playful and profound, "Wordplay "will challenge you to take a second look at your world.

Ornate, decorative letters (formed with long tails and flourishes) will add panache and style to ads, posters, signs, menus-almost any print project. Fonts include El Greco, Raffia Initials, Cantini Casual, Mardi Gras Regular, Italian Slab Fancy, dozens more.

Absolute beginners can learn how to get started on the basic Italic hand (also known as Chancery Cursive) in this practical guide. Two experts define terms, suggest materials, and illustrate basic strokes. Detailed discussions cover spacing and connecting letters; forming words and sentences; drawing "swash" capitals; changing nibs; using color; making corrections; waterproofing; and a variety of applications--addressing envelopes, making invitations and stationery, and transcribing special texts. Numerous b/w illus.

A magnificent and varied collection of alphabet stencils featuring type fonts ranging from the classic and traditional to the whimsical, exotic and modern. l

In an age of myriad computer fonts and instant communication, your handwriting style is increasingly a very personal creation. In this book, Margaret Shepherd, America's premier calligrapher, shows you that calligraphy is not simply a craft you can learn, but an elegant art form that you can make your own.

Calligraphy remains perennially popular, often adorning wedding invitations, diplomas, and commercial signs. Whether it is Roman, Gothic, Celtic, Bookhand, or Italic style, calligraphy conveys class and elegance. Margaret Shepherd makes this ancient art form accessible in a completely hand-lettered technical guide that will:

* Provide context for calligraphy as an art, exploring the rich tradition of hand-lettering and mapping the evolution of the most popular styles.

* Give detailed technical advice on choosing pens, paper, and inks, setting up your workspace, mastering various pen angles, along with step-by-step illustrations to guide you as you practice.

* Explain which alphabets are appropriate for different forms of writing. For example, the Roman alphabet works well for short, unpunctuated passages, while the Italic alphabet is more suited to informal everyday communication.

* Encourage you to personalize your lettering by using variant strokes and interpreting how you would like the words to look on the page.

* Inspire you with carefully chosen illustrations and examples, which bring letters to life.

In Margaret Shepherd's own words, "Calligraphy trains not only your eye and hand, but your mind as well." Learn Calligraphy is the authoritative primer for this age-old craft, and will help develop a new appreciation for lettering as you discover your creative personality.