Cursive writing is still alive in my classroom. My students earn fountain pens at the end of the year when they meet my cursive handwriting expectations. Cursive writing helps to preserve and protect the analog soul in all of us. For the all the stewards of cursive writing and who continue to keep it alive, may you be blessed with strength and passion to pass on this gift.
I wish I had that growning up...do you have any idea how amazing and beautiful that would of been for me!! I probably would of been waaaaay deep in the fountain pen rabbit hole at 8 yrs old...but worth it.
I'm 73 years old and from England and used a dip pen and ink until about the age of 10. I've been doing art the last few years and eventually got back onto dip pens to draw with and then fountain pens. Now I have decided to use a fountain pen to keep a diary and really looking forward to this new venture. I think your cursive writing is exceptionally elegant and beautiful to behold and thanks for the videos.
im eighteen years old. my generation was taught to write using cursive, but after starting primary school, switching to a print-style handwriting was considered a rite of passage. my handwriting, after years of change and my months-old fountain pen obsession, is somewhere between cursive and print. i’d like to develop a more aesthetic-focused calligraphy style, but this video made me appreciate my “regular” handwriting. thank you for posting!
Thank you for commenting! It is wonderful to hear from someone so young and to get your perspective in penmanship. I haven't seen it, but your writing sounds cool and amazing. Whatever it is, keep it up, and enjoy the process. If you need some inspiration; stop by again. This Channel will be here. I wish you all the best and thank you so much for commenting.
It’s really hard to see cursive handwriting „becoming obsolete“. It’s something that should be preserved. Handwriting is so powerful, it carries emotions, creativity and helps our mental health. I also learned to write in the 70s, 1971 (first grade) and I wouldn’t want it any other way!
I never liked my cursive in high school. So all throughout college & my professional life, I only wrote in print. In my 50's when I got into fountain pen, I decided to relearn cursive starting from the fundamentals. For my daily routine, I would do 10 minutes writing practices peppered throughout the day to develop muscle memory. I'm much happier with my cursive writing now.
Just went back to view it again. I like the whole idea of handwriting and scribing information to either to myself or Journal, where this is what writing is all about. I just thought, I would drop a line before the Saturday’s 2pm podcast with Joost
AND THE OSCAR GOES TO… Hemingway Jones with Why Handwriting is Important @ Hammond Castle. Aplause folks... wow this movie is the best I've ever seen. What a performance everything was just right, the characters, the music in the end everything. Watching this film completely calmed me down and I was inspired by it as well. Congratulations we want more of this, what a contrast to the ugly things that are happening in the world right now, but this makes me very happy... big thanks Mr HJ
Being twenty seven, I was in the last cohort to learn cursive. We started in kindergarten through third grade. I was one of a few who still used it throughout high school. As I got older and had adult money, I started to buy fountain pens and everything else that comes with the hobby. Great Video HJ! The last scene was very nice, you could tell your daughter absolutely adores you.
Yeah..im 28 and in that category of last generation to have cursive be taught when I was in 3rd grade...before I went to kindergarten I used to practice the figure 8s to get the feel of cursive..then learned it right away..I honestly thought we would be learning it by then so I wanted to be ahead...kindergarten kids didn't even know colors or letters 🤦♀️.
Thanks so much for the kind words! My wife actually filmed that footage for us because she thought it was cute. I was kind of waiting for the next shot. When I saw the footage though I knew it was the emotional heart of everything. They are both really amazing. I am glad you are into cursive. Happy to have you here at the channel too. Thanks Dylan!
Serendipity! Thanks for watching this one. I am passionate about cursive and my writing journey has had peaks and valleys and abject failures, but the trip is rich and rewarding. There are a lot of videos on it here. Check out the rest of my Channel. Thanks!
My classmates and I learned cursive, standing at the wall to wall chalkboards. I believe that was in 3rd grade. Our desks did have the round opening on the top left side of the desktop for ink. Cursive is my go-to style in my daily journal. I have a few examples of my writing style as a kid and the way I construct letters has not changed in all the years. Even my signature from 7th grade remains the same. I've been blessed with pretty good penmanship and I take pride in every letter that I write. It's ashame that it is not being taught anymore.
I dont do cursive, prefer the look of printing and the shading is just * chefs kiss*. It's probably just me but i struggled to concxon your words at times, especially the cowboy type music.
My family moved from Marblehead, Mass. to Woodstock, VT, when I was in the third grade. I began school in Vermont in the second semester, middle of a very cold winter, in an outpost of the Woodstock Elementary School,, which was overcrowded. This was in Taftsville, Vermont. Students in my third grade class had already learned cursive, and so I caught up by copying a girl next to me. I do recall refresher courses in fourth grade, using the Palmer method. I am grateful for this life of writing in cursive and cannot understand the choice of printing in people who have been taught both. But I agree with HG: some mixtures of the two can be very beautiful. This video is very beautiful, too, and I am nudging my younger sisters to join me in a trip to Hammond Castle. 🤩
Thanks so much for watching! I am so glad that you enjoy cursive too. Hammond Castle is amazing! I think that you will enjoy it. It has this calming energy.
Video was really beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed it specially the last scene with you and your daughter. That was such a lovely scene where a child is getting inspired from her father. "Fountain pens afford us very high level of writing " -HJ , I will use this line from now on when ever someone who will ask me about why I write with a fountain pen.
I discovered Penmanship by Palmer and Spencerian a few years ago... This was shortly after my wife gave me her old Monteverde fountain pen (by the way, it is extraordinarily beautiful...) I must admit, I have not managed to learn at least one of the two systems, which are therefore very similar... I use elements from both schools. I'm still trying to improve my writing, but it's harder than I thought... I have a lot of things to write and I lack time or better motivation to master my writing. Your video motivates me anyway and I promise myself to be more diligent and to practice my writing with more application... ! :) Thank you Hamingway for your beautiful video! Greetings from Vienna Michel
I learned cursive in the 50's and used it into the 70's. As a person involved in architecture I lost the skill or need over time, but more recently I've enjoyed relearning it and writing to friends and family once again. Men my age don't do that and I find it to a very personal touch that people appreciate.
I learned cursive in 3rd grade (late 60’s). I remember liking it, thinking I was finally learning to read and write in that secret language that others used. My mother has great penmanship but my father’ writing was completely eligible unless he was printing on architectural plans using a template 😂. I remember at sometime later in elementary school deciding to practice my handwriting so I could come up with a good signature. I still use that signature. Thanks HJ! I love your videos that take me places I’ve never been and also take me back to simpler times. Beautiful music, so relaxing and appropriate for your works of art. ❤
Thanks so much, Debbie! I am so glad you liked this one. This was a fun video to make. I enjoyed reading about your cursive journey. Thanks for watching.
Loved this video. I learned cursive in 2nd grade, in Ohio. When I moved to NH in 3rd grade I found that they were just learning cursive, so I was a bit ahead of my class (and very proud of it). I have always loved the physical act of writing, particularly cursive. I have never been to Hammond Castle, but it will be on my list to visit next summer! Looks absolutely gorgeous. Your presentations are a joy to watch and listen to.
Thank you so much Nancy! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! It is a site with seeing. it is different and you don’t feel like you’re in Massachusetts. It reminds me of Saint Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, though smaller. Very lovely. So glad you enjoyed the video!
Ahhh, another amazing video! Love how the architecture, all things stationery, pens, fashion and family all come together! I learned cursive writing in school and used it every day until university, when the computer took over. i have used fountain pens since I was 12 as I used to have pen pals and wrote regularly to my grandparents! I have always journaled and had planners but printed in them until just under two years ago. I decided to reteach myself cursive handwriting because I found myself journaling twice the amount through the pandemic. It was shocking to me how much I had to retrain the muscles in my hands. I would practice by writing at least a page every night and started cursive writing for work in my every day work notebooks. I remain a "pen to paper" person when brainstorming ideas or writing key concepts during meetings. As of April 2021, I use cursive handwriting for everything except in my planners. I use Hobonichi planners and their 3.7mm grids are tiny, so i prefer printing there. Journaling is an important part of my mental health care, self care and me time routines :)
I don't comment often but I had to for this one. This might be your best video yet - very pleasant to watch and listen to. Well done! I have jotted down Hammond Castle to someday visit it with my family, as you did with yours.
Thank you so much Manuel for comment and for enjoying this. I am so glad you did. I had no idea how this one would be received, but it had heart and meant a lot to me. Your appreciation therefor means a lot to me.
Great video. ☕ I write memoirs and some poems, as well as drawing with fountain pens and I must admit that my favorite style of writing is with cursive. For some reason I can't explain myself I feel satisfied and happy doing it. At the end of a page, a verse or a reflection I also delight in contemplating how it looks before sharing its reading. Greetings from Mexico.
Beautiful video, your choice of music elevates the quality by leaps and bounds. As a family man myself, it brought joy to see your family spending time together.
Thanks very much! I appreciate that. My daughter loves to visit different places. Especially a castle. I obsess over my music and only have limited choices in the free audio library. But there are some good things in there. Thanks!
I have written in cursive since I learned 63 years ago in the third grade. Letter-writing has been a very large part of my life. I write to friends, family, and even strangers. I don't do calligraphy, but I've been told that my handwriting is beautiful. It is getting harder for me to write as I've gotten older, so I no longer turn out the same volume of letters. But I hope to keep using cursive as a means of self-expression and a tangible evidence of my love. Something I've created that can be kept and reread to remind a loved one how important they are to me. From this video, though, I think I'll purchase a fountain pen. Is it too late to start at 71? I don't think so. Thank you for this! 😊
Hi Tottie Mae! It’s never too late to start a hobby as fulfilling as fountain pens, journaling, & continuing your letter writing. I’m 67 & just in the last year & a half I’ve started enjoying writing fountain pens & the wonderful paper they require. I love watching Hemingway’s videos & the gorgeous pens he has but I’ll never own anything as expensive as those. But I can buy starter pens that are fun & im hoping my ‘Santa’ will bring me the pen I wish for. (Lol). I got my start with journaling by taking a class with 2 sisters who have a very easygoing manner so they both had a laidback attitude about the whole thing. It eases the class’s tension about what to write in a journal & “Where the heck do we start?!” Check your local library for free classes of whatever interests you. They’re amazing & tons of fun!
@@kateryan190 Thank you. Journaling isn't for me, but letter-writing is my interest of long-standing because it's something I can do to help encourage the sick, the elderly, and young ones. Even those I barely know or strangers may benefit from a thoughtful letter. I like beautiful paper too... anything that will tell the other person "I care about you."
Hello Tottie Mae! It is never too late to start. There may be a slight adjustment as you get used to the lighter touch, but I imagine that you with a fountain pen will produce absolutely stunning letters for your friends and family. If you need any help at all or if there’s anything I can do to help keep you inspired please let me know. Wishing you all the best and let me know how you are getting on with this.
What a lovely video, and your narration is so inspiring. Growing up in England in the late sixties/early seventies, we were just expected to do "joined up writing". It wasn't called cursive, and I don't remember anyone actually teaching it to us. So there wasn't a single style, everyone somehow picked up "joined up" writing in their own way and ended up with a style that was completely individual compared to everyone else. (unlike our French and German penpals who all learned "proper" cursive and all had identical handwriting...which we found rather bemusing...and difficult to read.) In the first year of secondary school (from age 11) we had individual wooden desks with china inkwells in them that we would have to fill from a big bottle at the front of the class. And we had to write with the most appalling fountain pens. Back then I thought it was me not being good with a fountain pen, but looking back I now realise that they were just really terrible pens that took three minutes to get going every time you wanted to write with them and then made chicken scratch lines. Then we hit about 1976 and all the ink wells and fountain pens were deemed old fashioned by the school, who discarded them and we went over to biros. Now I'm back full circle and using with fountain pens, (but ones that are so much nicer :D )
Thank you so much for watching and I am so glad that you liked it. Thanks also for sharing your cursive journey with us. I love stories like this. Thank you!
I won’t say how old I am but I started writing on a slate tablet. I have since elevated to many types of fountain pens. In fact I remember my father gave me a fountain pen for a Christmas gift when I was five.
What a beautiful video! I can see all the effort you put in. I loved every part of it: scenery, subject, the voice over and your family! I learned cursive in school and remember the wooden desks with the ink well. I am eagerly awaiting the next video!
Great video, thank you! I learned cursive when I learned to read and write as a kid. It was what we were taught in schools in India. One of the reasons for teaching cursive was that you can write much faster in cursive. So cursive is muscle memory now, it comes automatically when I touch nib to paper :)
I celebrated my 45th birthday this July. I was lucky enough to have learned the art of cursive writing in elementary school. However, for most of my years I mostly wrote in a strange mixture of print and cursive, mostly embracing print. Not until college did I realize that my handwriting truly was a unique gift when my design instructors thought my handwriting was a font! Not long after graduation I was bedridden recovering from my hysterectomy. I took this time to really study calligraphy consciously, artfully. Brush pens have always been a part of my art life, but this new endeavor really kickstarted my love for flex nibs in 2014. I still mix up my writing style based on my moods, but I truly find peace when I write beautifully in cursive in my journals: both my written journals and in my artwork. Nibs have since become my favorite part of finding/ trying new pens. My faves have always been flex nibs and stub nibs, but the architect nib has def more recently won my heart. I've already found my favorite pens, now trying new nibs with unique colors has been my ultimate pleasure in this hobby. Being a color/ history nerd, as evidenced by my handle, "weird" inks been my passion. I find a lot of happiness in mixing colors using my background in design and art as my guide. I've considered starting my own UA-cam channel based on my ink color mixing experiments, but I'm not sure that I'm "there" yet. Time will tell ☺
I would be happy to help with your channel. There is so much I had to learn on my own that I wish someone had told me! Maybe you already know, but I would be happy to help. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
M.B., do you refer to mixing inks or to mixing pigments or whatever inks are made from? I play around with watercolor paint so I’m kind of a color enthusiast as well. Bright colors or deep, rich, saturated colors; it doesn’t matter as long as whatever I’m looking at has wonderful colors!
Friends and family seem to enjoy receiving handwritten letters. I write four of five, weekly. The cursive writing I learned in grade school degenerated into an incoherent, loopy mess over the years. A few days spent relearning and practicing, and slowly personalizing it with a few key letters, brought real joy and a feeling of reinvention. Now even my routine work documents and shopping lists are handwritten. I reserve block printing for forms. It seems cumbersome and slow by comparison, he wrote typing with on finger on an iPad one character at a time.
We learnt cursive writing in elementary school. Always enjoyed writing and for as long as I can write it will be cursive and/or print! A great daily exercise and I don’t think I will stop ever. Thanks for sharing this beautiful location! You have a beautiful family. Cheers
How did I learn Cursive? I originate from the UK and in our Primary School (up to age 11 years) one of the teachers taught cursive hand writing. My Baggot was his name. We had a note book devoted to his hand writing class which took place for 1 hour every week. We learned 1 letter a week. We had to learn to write the alphabet in Upper case “A” and lower case “a”. Repeating the letters on each line on the first page and on the second page, words that featured the letter we had just learned. The books were handed in and marked just the same as English, History and Geography. Hand writing was an important subject. M🇨🇦
Hello HJ. Just watched this video for the third time. This time, I paid more attention to the story telling. It's a fine art that seems to be deteriorating, replaced by abbreviate words and cryptic messages of the digital world. You have done a fine job on this production and I hope to see more of this style from future episodes.
Thank you so much! I just finished, a moment ago, the spiritual sequel to that very video! I think I’ll title it “The Case For Fountain Pens.” Thanks for the kind words.
Also, I write almost all in cursive. Learnt to write in school in far away North-Eastern India. I attended a catholic school in the town of Shillong called St Edmund's College, a boy's school. We were taught the Vere Foster Method of handwriting, starting with pencils in 2nd Grade, and fountain pen in 5th Grade. We too had desks in school like the ones you referenced, desks with old ink stains on them, with the round hole which was the holder for inkwells in the upper right hand corner. ( You are bringing back a lot of old memories of me, HJ!!!) Since then, I have written in cursive, I really prefer using fountain pen on paper, and I cringe whenever I have to uuse the computer keyboard to write something. Well, I like using manual typewriters, but, writing with fountain pen on paper will remain mmy first choice till my dying day. :):):)
As a rather old man (60 yo), I learned to write only in cursive wich we called at the time "Palmer" because of the name of the manual's author. First using pencils and then fountain pens (Wearever, Parker and mostly Esterbrook). At the age of nine, we were taught to write in "block letters" (is it correct in english? In spanish is "letra de imprenta" or "letra de molde"). My mother had this beautiful small cursive letter which she was always cumplimented for, and my father a rather strong big writing but cursive too. They wrote cursive all their lives. Today my handwriting on the whiteboard is a mixture of cursive and print writing mainly because my pupils sadly wouldn't understand the pure cursive letter but my personal notes are always in cursive and of course, with a fountain pen. Lovely video. Very encouraging. Let me share my philosophy about pens: "Ball points and rollers are technological advances, fountain pens are examples of civilization".
I absolutely love that quote. Thank you so much for sharing it! We both learned Palmer. I am sure you see it in my writing. Was your Esterbrook a J? I love those. I think we say block letters. Thanks so much for the delightful comment and the great information. I am so glad you enjoyed this video.
Another great presentation! I love the scenic view of Hammond Castle with your daughter and wife. I love cursive writing and I too prefer a medium nib. God bless your family, HG.
Beautiful!! I think your best yet by far. I have rediscovered cursive in the last few years. I have been learning and practicing Copperplate lately, never thinking it would be the stress reliever that it is. I sometimes just sit and practice and relax. My wife and I have experienced a connection with writing and fountain pens in the past few months, and your videos have helped it along. We both agreed your original three minute introductions were great and we miss them, but the new format is good too. Looking forward to the next one.
Hello CJ, I am bringing back the old intro for my Live show on Tuesday nights. I just updated a new version in 4K. You will see that soon. I miss it too! Maybe I’ll put it at the front of one soon anyway. It’s good to mix things up. Thank you so much for watching and enjoying this. It means so much to me. So much went well. Also, I branched out in music and that helped. The biggest thing was my wife capturing some great moments. I am so glad that you and your wife have a shared hobby. That is so great. I would love to learn Copperplate. I am working on some calligraphy. Thanks!
Fountain pens has kept me connected with writing for years and i love writing and i can write for hours together. My penmanship is pretty good as i have been writing for years and it has improved in the process. For me writing with my fountain pens is therapeutic for me it's a great stress buster in my opinion. I really like your videos, this one was great too.
Thank you so much. I’m so glad you enjoyed this video and equally glad that you get so much out of writing with a Fountain pen. Thank you so much for watching and I’ll see you again in the comments. Take care
Our elementary school dropped cursive writing instruction until I and several other parents raised enough of a fuss they put it back in the curriculum. I also taught my children at home. It is that important. One must know cursive to read the founding documents, otherwise they are at the mercy of whoever prints those words.
Is 84 too late to "waste " money on a new fountain pen? As an ex calligrapher you have inspired me to write again albeit in a more fluent style. Thankyou
Greetings from Australia. Love the video. I agree. What is the monastic chant at the beginning. Love it. But... I believe in posture and believe that writing should be done at a desk. Sitting and writing on one's lap or leaning against a tree is not aesthetically correct. Sorry. 🤣 Love your video.
Thanks so much and I am glad that you enjoyed my video! The music is just free music from the UA-cam Audio Library called “Gregorian Chant.” As for writing, I am just happy to see anyone write, anywhere, at any time. Fountains pens need a little sun on them from time to time, away from the desk and out in the world. There are discoveries to be made there, new experiences, and this is where you will find me, drawing script with my impossibly light hand, memorializing the magical moments of my life. I invite you to join me, beyond the gates and their keepers. All the best!
Oh Mr. Jones, What a beautiful video & such classic, calming background music is a balm to the spirit. The castle & grounds are wonderful; the video following your lovely wife & adorable daughter on their exploration made me feel like I was exploring with them. I have to agree the widening loss of the use of cursive in schools is saddening. Some modern schooling fails to see it as a necessary skill for some reason that I don’t understand. Several years ago I took a package to be mailed to one of the well known shipping companies ( NOT the US post office! They don’t employ illiterate teenagers). When I made out the shipping sticker with the mailing address & return address the teen looked at me in complete confusion. After some discussion back & forth the person who was in charge of him & myself finally figured out that he was incapable of reading cursive. And my cursive is definitely not illegible! I used to practice my cursive with my great aunt who was a school teacher with handwriting that was a work of art! I’ve kept as many of the letters as I could from her over the years so I can reread them & hear her voice in my head. So, back to your topic, I learned my cursive in the mid 1960’s starting with lots of patience & practice in grade school, then continued to practice with my great aunt when she was in town on visits & with my mom who also learned cursive mainly for my great aunt, mom’s dearly loved aunt. My level of cursive hasn’t quite reached their beautiful penmanship but I also write smaller & faster than they did so there’s bound to be a difference. I can actually see where my writing is more like my grandmother’s who was a treasure to me! Thank you Hemingway, for the beautiful video, sharing your wonderful family with us, and for stirring happy memories for me!
Thank you so much for the lovely comment! Thank you so much for watching and I’m so glad you enjoyed this. It means so much to me. I can barely express it. Thank you so much. And thanks for sharing your cursive journey with me and all of us. I hope that you will stay with us and check in again on a future video. All the best.
At my Grammar School, Proctor on Highland Ave., Somerville, penmanship day was known for the filling of the individual student's deck inkwells and the distribution of the fountain pens. All this disappeared when the ballpoint pen arrived. But then, as a lefty, there was little woe when there no longer was the dredded smear. There was no wreck of the assignment let alone the Hespress. Now I use a fountain pen 90% of the time and print. Though at times I do miss the connectiveness of cursive. I also miss the organ conserts at the Castle.
I think you out did yourself on this one ! Awesome My cursive changed from state to state. I went to 7 different elementary schools in 5 different states … as an adult I created my own unique writing, my preferred writing is in cursive 👍🏻
@@HemingwayJones i’m still searching out some of your old ones and just randomly watching them ☺️👍🏻 also might just pull up one I’ve already seen but didn’t comment on and watch it again and comment. I’m weird like that.🤭
I completely missed this video, Hemingway! I had been traveling on the day this one was posted and never viewed it until now. Goodness, what phenomenal work you've done here! This video was quite moving and profound. It reminded me of myself in the first grade trying quite desperately to write ✍ in cursive because I was a gifted student ahead of my peers in many ways and I was anxious to write in cursive as I had excelled in writing from very early onward. My teacher, bless her, had to rein me in. I've long felt a deep appreciation for cursive writing and am currently learning to write in Spencerian Script. I have always favored writing ✍ by hand and I am certain I will maintain the deeply embedded proclivity toward putting ✒ pen to paper 📃 for as long as I shall live.
Wonderful! Thanks so much for watching. This is one of my favorites. That ending scene gets me every time. You will see some footage from here in the New Year in a different video. I filmed Helen there too. So stay tuned. So glad that you enjoy my channel. You always have interesting comments.
@@HemingwayJones Aww, I appreciate your words but truly, thank YOU. Your videos are brimming with taste, intelligence, and uniquely intriguing content. The clip of your sweet little girl curled up against you nearly brought a tear to my eye as my Father perished when I was merely 13 and I dreamt of myself embracing him quite recently. I bet your daughter will look back on such moments captured on film and be so utterly grateful for it. I look forward to your future offerings. Needless to say, I'm hooked.
@@AvecPoesie Thank you so much, My Friend. I really appreciate that. It is so hard to lose a parent. My father passed when is as 18 mos so I am so happy to be a father to my daughter. I’m so glad to be here. Thanks for sharing these moments with me. All the best.
Nice video! I love to write in cursive as well. But I print when taking notes. I forgot the Lamy cursive nib on my last order. I'll make a note so that I don't forget it on my next order. Thanks for reminding me!
Thank you and thanks to your family! I needed the soul cleanse - your family should practice medicine. Best regards! PS: I love the American style nib you used to write the poems. Its lines look so exotic, just like a quill tip.
Thank you so much! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. This video means so much to me. I am glad that you were able to see it. -That pen with the interesting nib is from the 1920s. It’s a Waterman 52 1/2 and it’s made of Ebonite and has a very flexy nib almost like a paint brush. Thanks so much!
Thanks Brandon! I am happy to have inspired you and I am glad that you enjoyed it. Those are Red Wings Blacksmiths in Briar. Love these. Big Red Wing fan. All the best!
oh this was really nicely editted. but yes very important as AI chat may take over many of the longform writing and most people are just using thumbs to twitter. As a lefty, I've had to learn different approaches to FPs and nibs. I use print for work related things where we have a lot of abbreviations and lists, but cursive/spencerian for journalling, thoughts. Though in my hobonichi daily summaries, I use italic (printing) as a way to practice using my right hand.
Thank you so much for the kind words! I could have added a section to this film on the struggles of the left-handed. Thanks so much for your kind and encouraging words. Stay well and stop by again soon.
Fantastic video! It is very unfortunate that cursive IS a drying art. My daughter, who is 19, can't read or write in cursive! Granted, I came into her life 5 years ago and I myself only wrote in print. 🤷♀ Tragedy has a profound affect on your life's path. I was determined to do *everything* digital! I was a software engineer. I BUILT for the digital space! Yet, a cycling accident changed my life. When I woke up from my coma, my doctors encouraged me to write *everything!* Now, I'm looking into cursive again.
Hello My Friend! Thank you for the kind words and for checking in. Thanks for sharing your journey.Wow, I hope that you are doing much better. If there is anything I can do to help keep you inspired, please let me know. Thanks!
It really does sadden me that cursive isn't being taught in American schools anymore..I learned cursive before kindergarten and even though I write print..I feel cursive helped develop my unique handwriting!
I originally learned cursive in grade-school, but hated it & stopped using it as soon as it wasn't required. I re-learned cursive when I got into fountain pens - turns out, the script was designed for nibs & not pencils/ball-point, so no wonder it feels more natural/fun with a fountain pen.
Your videos are always very professional and well done. Congrats! Do you write the script or do you have a professional writer? They are very inspiring. Cheers!
When I’m waking around collecting my money at the end of my work shift and a customer mentions my fountain pen, and they do, I tell them that it’s “An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” It’s a reminder to myself that though I belong to boss for eight hours and the job is mentally taxing and hard on my eyes and ears, I’m not JUST a beast of burden to be abused, another battery for this reality, to be used and thrown in the trash.. another slave to the system.. another bearing grinding away in this ugly, sweaty machine. The pen grounds me back to my humanity.
You look like you are getting skilled writing with it. Does this change your relationship with your Montblanc 146? Are we going to get to hear about that?
@@ericpeppe3740 Thanks so much! The 146 is definitely an ongoing relationship. It was love at first sight, then we had our first falling out, then we reconciled. Lately, we are getting closer! Haha, yes! Definitely will be an update soon. I reserve the right to evolve in my opinions! I hope that all is well!
It is not necessary. It is just eccentricity on my part. My cursive is still bad but my Copperplate impresses others. It is the only static art I have indulged in.
Cursive is the only type of writing that can match my speed of thought. Printing seems to be like a bottleneck and causes me to stumble over my thoughts. Cursive is what us old folks use to encrypt our messages.
Cursive writing is still alive in my classroom. My students earn fountain pens at the end of the year when they meet my cursive handwriting expectations. Cursive writing helps to preserve and protect the analog soul in all of us. For the all the stewards of cursive writing and who continue to keep it alive, may you be blessed with strength and passion to pass on this gift.
Thanks so much John! Wonderful comment.
I wish I had that growning up...do you have any idea how amazing and beautiful that would of been for me!! I probably would of been waaaaay deep in the fountain pen rabbit hole at 8 yrs old...but worth it.
thats incredible- i still write incursive often, cool to hear teachers are still preserving the intellectual power if writing and thinking by hand
Amen.
I'm 73 years old and from England and used a dip pen and ink until about the age of 10. I've been doing art the last few years and eventually got back onto dip pens to draw with and then fountain pens. Now I have decided to use a fountain pen to keep a diary and really looking forward to this new venture. I think your cursive writing is exceptionally elegant and beautiful to behold and thanks for the videos.
Thank you very much for the kind and encouraging words! I wish you well on your journey. Stop by again soon.
so nice
Thank you!
im eighteen years old. my generation was taught to write using cursive, but after starting primary school, switching to a print-style handwriting was considered a rite of passage. my handwriting, after years of change and my months-old fountain pen obsession, is somewhere between cursive and print. i’d like to develop a more aesthetic-focused calligraphy style, but this video made me appreciate my “regular” handwriting. thank you for posting!
Thank you for commenting! It is wonderful to hear from someone so young and to get your perspective in penmanship. I haven't seen it, but your writing sounds cool and amazing. Whatever it is, keep it up, and enjoy the process. If you need some inspiration; stop by again. This Channel will be here. I wish you all the best and thank you so much for commenting.
I love and agree with the idea that writing with wonderful pens are acts of defiance and that those of us who do see the world differently!
Awesome! Welcome to the resistance!
It’s really hard to see cursive handwriting „becoming obsolete“. It’s something that should be preserved. Handwriting is so powerful, it carries emotions, creativity and helps our mental health. I also learned to write in the 70s, 1971 (first grade) and I wouldn’t want it any other way!
Here here! Very well said. Thanks so much!
I ❤ writing in cursive. It is on a comeback. I learned in elementary school.
Wonderful!
I never liked my cursive in high school. So all throughout college & my professional life, I only wrote in print. In my 50's when I got into fountain pen, I decided to relearn cursive starting from the fundamentals. For my daily routine, I would do 10 minutes writing practices peppered throughout the day to develop muscle memory. I'm much happier with my cursive writing now.
That sounds great! I wish my cursive was better, especially since everyone sees it each week. And I try! I suppose it is a lot better than it was.
Just went back to view it again. I like the whole idea of handwriting and scribing information to either to myself or Journal, where this is what writing is all about. I just thought, I would drop a line before the Saturday’s 2pm podcast with Joost
Thanks very much! I appreciate it!
Wonderful vid :)
Thank you!!
AND THE OSCAR GOES TO… Hemingway Jones with Why Handwriting is Important @ Hammond Castle.
Aplause folks... wow this movie is the best I've ever seen. What a performance everything was just right, the characters, the music in the end everything.
Watching this film completely calmed me down and I was inspired by it as well.
Congratulations we want more of this, what a contrast to the ugly things that are happening in the world right now, but this makes me very happy... big thanks Mr HJ
Thank you so much!!! I am so glad that you liked it. This is about the best I can do. I am so proud of this. Thanks again!
We all need our own reward show...but instead of Oscars....the Golden Nib Awards.!!
Being twenty seven, I was in the last cohort to learn cursive. We started in kindergarten through third grade. I was one of a few who still used it throughout high school. As I got older and had adult money, I started to buy fountain pens and everything else that comes with the hobby.
Great Video HJ! The last scene was very nice, you could tell your daughter absolutely adores you.
Yeah..im 28 and in that category of last generation to have cursive be taught when I was in 3rd grade...before I went to kindergarten I used to practice the figure 8s to get the feel of cursive..then learned it right away..I honestly thought we would be learning it by then so I wanted to be ahead...kindergarten kids didn't even know colors or letters 🤦♀️.
Thanks so much for the kind words! My wife actually filmed that footage for us because she thought it was cute. I was kind of waiting for the next shot. When I saw the footage though I knew it was the emotional heart of everything. They are both really amazing.
I am glad you are into cursive. Happy to have you here at the channel too.
Thanks Dylan!
I recently decided to brush up on my cursive writing. As I was watching videos on UA-cam videos about fountain pens showed up.....
Serendipity! Thanks for watching this one. I am passionate about cursive and my writing journey has had peaks and valleys and abject failures, but the trip is rich and rewarding. There are a lot of videos on it here. Check out the rest of my Channel. Thanks!
My classmates and I learned cursive, standing at the wall to wall chalkboards. I believe that was in 3rd grade. Our desks did have the round opening on the top left side of the desktop for ink. Cursive is my go-to style in my daily journal. I have a few examples of my writing style as a kid and the way I construct letters has not changed in all the years. Even my signature from 7th grade remains the same. I've been blessed with pretty good penmanship and I take pride in every letter that I write. It's ashame that it is not being taught anymore.
That is awesome! Amazing that you hand hasn’t changed.
I dont do cursive, prefer the look of printing and the shading is just * chefs kiss*.
It's probably just me but i struggled to concxon your words at times, especially the cowboy type music.
Thanks for the comment and feedback.
Thank you for the inspiring video Hemingway. I am going to enjoy following along your writing journey thru this channel.
Thank you so much! I am happy to
Have you here with us!
Cursive was the only way at school, when I was a kid, down in South America. It's my hobby now, and I really enjoy every single aspect of it.
Wonderful, Alfonso! It is a great way for a person to distinguish themselves. All the best!
My family moved from Marblehead, Mass. to Woodstock, VT, when I was in the third grade. I began school in Vermont in the second semester, middle of a very cold winter, in an outpost of the Woodstock Elementary School,, which was overcrowded. This was in Taftsville, Vermont. Students in my third grade class had already learned cursive, and so I caught up by copying a girl next to me. I do recall refresher courses in fourth grade, using the Palmer method. I am grateful for this life of writing in cursive and cannot understand the choice of printing in people who have been taught both. But I agree with HG: some mixtures of the two can be very beautiful. This video is very beautiful, too, and I am nudging my younger sisters to join me in a trip to Hammond Castle. 🤩
Thanks so much for watching! I am so glad that you enjoy cursive too. Hammond Castle is amazing! I think that you will enjoy it. It has this calming energy.
Excellent video HJ !! As a product of Parochial schooling and the Palmer method,I have never stopped using cursive.
Hi Gino! Me too! I’m sure you can see the Palmer in my writing. Thanks so much!
Simply phenomenal. That is all I have to say.
Thank you so much Simon!
Video was really beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed it specially the last scene with you and your daughter. That was such a lovely scene where a child is getting inspired from her father. "Fountain pens afford us very high level of writing " -HJ , I will use this line from now on when ever someone who will ask me about why I write with a fountain pen.
Thank you so much! You get me completely and I appreciate it. I am so glad that you enjoyed this. It means a lot to me. Thank you!
I discovered Penmanship by Palmer and Spencerian a few years ago... This was shortly after my wife gave me her old Monteverde fountain pen (by the way, it is extraordinarily beautiful...)
I must admit, I have not managed to learn at least one of the two systems, which are therefore very similar...
I use elements from both schools. I'm still trying to improve my writing, but it's harder than I thought...
I have a lot of things to write and I lack time or better motivation to master my writing.
Your video motivates me anyway and I promise myself to be more diligent and to practice my writing with more application... ! :)
Thank you Hamingway for your beautiful video!
Greetings from Vienna
Michel
Thank you Michel from Vienna! Say hello to Harry Lime for me. So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing your handwriting journey with me.
Beautiful cursive writing. Very enjoyable and relaxing video. 👌 Thanks for sharing.
Thank you very much! This one is one of my very favorites. So glad that you enjoyed it.
I learned cursive in the 50's and used it into the 70's. As a person involved in architecture I lost the skill or need over time, but more recently I've enjoyed relearning it and writing to friends and family once again. Men my age don't do that and I find it to a very personal touch that people appreciate.
Another site to put on my bucket list!
Yes! Pen Reviews and Travelogues! All the best.
I learned cursive in 3rd grade (late 60’s). I remember liking it, thinking I was finally learning to read and write in that secret language that others used. My mother has great penmanship but my father’ writing was completely eligible unless he was printing on architectural plans using a template 😂. I remember at sometime later in elementary school deciding to practice my handwriting so I could come up with a good signature. I still use that signature. Thanks HJ! I love your videos that take me places I’ve never been and also take me back to simpler times. Beautiful music, so relaxing and appropriate for your works of art. ❤
Thanks so much, Debbie! I am so glad you liked this one. This was a fun video to make. I enjoyed reading about your cursive journey. Thanks for watching.
Beautiful video and so well done. Excellent job.
Thank you so much, Barry! That means a lot to me. All the best.
Loved this video. I learned cursive in 2nd grade, in Ohio. When I moved to NH in 3rd grade I found that they were just learning cursive, so I was a bit ahead of my class (and very proud of it). I have always loved the physical act of writing, particularly cursive. I have never been to Hammond Castle, but it will be on my list to visit next summer! Looks absolutely gorgeous. Your presentations are a joy to watch and listen to.
Thank you so much Nancy! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! It is a site with seeing. it is different and you don’t feel like you’re in Massachusetts. It reminds me of Saint Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, though smaller. Very lovely. So glad you enjoyed the video!
Ahhh, another amazing video! Love how the architecture, all things stationery, pens, fashion and family all come together!
I learned cursive writing in school and used it every day until university, when the computer took over. i have used fountain pens since I was 12 as I used to have pen pals and wrote regularly to my grandparents! I have always journaled and had planners but printed in them until just under two years ago. I decided to reteach myself cursive handwriting because I found myself journaling twice the amount through the pandemic. It was shocking to me how much I had to retrain the muscles in my hands. I would practice by writing at least a page every night and started cursive writing for work in my every day work notebooks. I remain a "pen to paper" person when brainstorming ideas or writing key concepts during meetings. As of April 2021, I use cursive handwriting for everything except in my planners. I use Hobonichi planners and their 3.7mm grids are tiny, so i prefer printing there. Journaling is an important part of my mental health care, self care and me time routines :)
Thanks so much for watching this one. This is one of my favorites and that final shot makes me emotional every time!
I don't comment often but I had to for this one. This might be your best video yet - very pleasant to watch and listen to. Well done! I have jotted down Hammond Castle to someday visit it with my family, as you did with yours.
Thank you so much Manuel for comment and for enjoying this. I am so glad you did. I had no idea how this one would be received, but it had heart and meant a lot to me. Your appreciation therefor means a lot to me.
Great video. ☕ I write memoirs and some poems, as well as drawing with fountain pens and I must admit that my favorite style of writing is with cursive. For some reason I can't explain myself I feel satisfied and happy doing it. At the end of a page, a verse or a reflection I also delight in contemplating how it looks before sharing its reading.
Greetings from Mexico.
Greetings Victor! This is a great comment. Thank you. I am right there with you. Nice cursive looks amazing. All the best.
Beautiful video, your choice of music elevates the quality by leaps and bounds. As a family man myself, it brought joy to see your family spending time together.
Thanks very much! I appreciate that. My daughter loves to visit different places. Especially a castle. I obsess over my music and only have limited choices in the free audio library. But there are some good things in there. Thanks!
I have written in cursive since I learned 63 years ago in the third grade. Letter-writing has been a very large part of my life. I write to friends, family, and even strangers. I don't do calligraphy, but I've been told that my handwriting is beautiful. It is getting harder for me to write as I've gotten older, so I no longer turn out the same volume of letters. But I hope to keep using cursive as a means of self-expression and a tangible evidence of my love. Something I've created that can be kept and reread to remind a loved one how important they are to me. From this video, though, I think I'll purchase a fountain pen. Is it too late to start at 71? I don't think so. Thank you for this! 😊
Hi Tottie Mae! It’s never too late to start a hobby as fulfilling as fountain pens, journaling, & continuing your letter writing. I’m 67 & just in the last year & a half I’ve started enjoying writing fountain pens & the wonderful paper they require. I love watching Hemingway’s videos & the gorgeous pens he has but I’ll never own anything as expensive as those. But I can buy starter pens that are fun & im hoping my ‘Santa’ will bring me the pen I wish for. (Lol).
I got my start with journaling by taking a class with 2 sisters who have a very easygoing manner so they both had a laidback attitude about the whole thing. It eases the class’s tension about what to write in a journal & “Where the heck do we start?!” Check your local library for free classes of whatever interests you. They’re amazing & tons of fun!
@@kateryan190 Thank you. Journaling isn't for me, but letter-writing is my interest of long-standing because it's something I can do to help encourage the sick, the elderly, and young ones. Even those I barely know or strangers may benefit from a thoughtful letter. I like beautiful paper too... anything that will tell the other person "I care about you."
Hello Tottie Mae! It is never too late to start. There may be a slight adjustment as you get used to the lighter touch, but I imagine that you with a fountain pen will produce absolutely stunning letters for your friends and family. If you need any help at all or if there’s anything I can do to help keep you inspired please let me know. Wishing you all the best and let me know how you are getting on with this.
@@HemingwayJones You are so kind!
Thanks so much!
What a lovely video, and your narration is so inspiring.
Growing up in England in the late sixties/early seventies, we were just expected to do "joined up writing". It wasn't called cursive, and I don't remember anyone actually teaching it to us. So there wasn't a single style, everyone somehow picked up "joined up" writing in their own way and ended up with a style that was completely individual compared to everyone else. (unlike our French and German penpals who all learned "proper" cursive and all had identical handwriting...which we found rather bemusing...and difficult to read.)
In the first year of secondary school (from age 11) we had individual wooden desks with china inkwells in them that we would have to fill from a big bottle at the front of the class. And we had to write with the most appalling fountain pens. Back then I thought it was me not being good with a fountain pen, but looking back I now realise that they were just really terrible pens that took three minutes to get going every time you wanted to write with them and then made chicken scratch lines.
Then we hit about 1976 and all the ink wells and fountain pens were deemed old fashioned by the school, who discarded them and we went over to biros.
Now I'm back full circle and using with fountain pens, (but ones that are so much nicer :D )
Thank you so much for watching and I am so glad that you liked it. Thanks also for sharing your cursive journey with us. I love stories like this. Thank you!
I won’t say how old I am but I started writing on a slate tablet. I have since elevated to many types of fountain pens. In fact I remember my father gave me a fountain pen for a Christmas gift when I was five.
@@antipodies That is awesome! Thanks for watching and keep writing.
What a beautiful video! I can see all the effort you put in. I loved every part of it: scenery, subject, the voice over and your family! I learned cursive in school and remember the wooden desks with the ink well. I am eagerly awaiting the next video!
Thanks so much, Judy! This means so much to me. I am so glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks so much!
Great video, thank you!
I learned cursive when I learned to read and write as a kid. It was what we were taught in schools in India. One of the reasons for teaching cursive was that you can write much faster in cursive. So cursive is muscle memory now, it comes automatically when I touch nib to paper :)
That is pretty wonderful! I love cursive for its utility and beauty.
What a great place to take out a gold nib pen and record one’s thoughts into leather bound notebook.
Thank you very much!
I celebrated my 45th birthday this July. I was lucky enough to have learned the art of cursive writing in elementary school. However, for most of my years I mostly wrote in a strange mixture of print and cursive, mostly embracing print. Not until college did I realize that my handwriting truly was a unique gift when my design instructors thought my handwriting was a font!
Not long after graduation I was bedridden recovering from my hysterectomy. I took this time to really study calligraphy consciously, artfully. Brush pens have always been a part of my art life, but this new endeavor really kickstarted my love for flex nibs in 2014. I still mix up my writing style based on my moods, but I truly find peace when I write beautifully in cursive in my journals: both my written journals and in my artwork.
Nibs have since become my favorite part of finding/ trying new pens. My faves have always been flex nibs and stub nibs, but the architect nib has def more recently won my heart. I've already found my favorite pens, now trying new nibs with unique colors has been my ultimate pleasure in this hobby. Being a color/ history nerd, as evidenced by my handle, "weird" inks been my passion. I find a lot of happiness in mixing colors using my background in design and art as my guide. I've considered starting my own UA-cam channel based on my ink color mixing experiments, but I'm not sure that I'm "there" yet. Time will tell ☺
I would be happy to help with your channel. There is so much I had to learn on my own that I wish someone had told me! Maybe you already know, but I would be happy to help. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
@@HemingwayJones much appreciated, I might indeed take you up on that!
M.B., do you refer to mixing inks or to mixing pigments or whatever inks are made from? I play around with watercolor paint so I’m kind of a color enthusiast as well. Bright colors or deep, rich, saturated colors; it doesn’t matter as long as whatever I’m looking at has wonderful colors!
@@kateryan190 mixing inks. I'm all for the "shop your stash" aesthetic.
Friends and family seem to enjoy receiving handwritten letters. I write four of five, weekly. The cursive writing I learned in grade school degenerated into an incoherent, loopy mess over the years. A few days spent relearning and practicing, and slowly personalizing it with a few key letters, brought real joy and a feeling of reinvention. Now even my routine work documents and shopping lists are handwritten. I reserve block printing for forms. It seems cumbersome and slow by comparison, he wrote typing with on finger on an iPad one character at a time.
Hold the line, My Friend! The world needs more people like you who enjoy handwriting. Wish you all the best.
We learnt cursive writing in elementary school. Always enjoyed writing and for as long as I can write it will be cursive and/or print! A great daily exercise and I don’t think I will stop ever. Thanks for sharing this beautiful location! You have a beautiful family. Cheers
Thank you so much! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. All the best!
How did I learn Cursive? I originate from the UK and in our Primary School (up to age 11 years) one of the teachers taught cursive hand writing. My Baggot was his name. We had a note book devoted to his hand writing class which took place for 1 hour every week. We learned 1 letter a week. We had to learn to write the alphabet in Upper case “A” and lower case “a”. Repeating the letters on each line on the first page and on the second page, words that featured the letter we had just learned. The books were handed in and marked just the same as English, History and Geography. Hand writing was an important subject. M🇨🇦
Wonderful! Thanks for this.
Hole was in the top right of the desk. My mistake.
Hello HJ. Just watched this video for the third time. This time, I paid more attention to the story telling. It's a fine art that seems to be deteriorating, replaced by abbreviate words and cryptic messages of the digital world. You have done a fine job on this production and I hope to see more of this style from future episodes.
Thank you so much! I just finished, a moment ago, the spiritual sequel to that very video! I think I’ll title it “The Case For Fountain Pens.” Thanks for the kind words.
Just a wonderful video with an exquisite narration, thank you for your time, keep writing my friend...
Thank you very much! I am so glad you enjoyed it.
HJ- what a wonderful video!!!!:):):)
Also, I write almost all in cursive. Learnt to write in school in far away North-Eastern India. I attended a catholic school in the town of Shillong called St Edmund's College, a boy's school. We were taught the Vere Foster Method of handwriting, starting with pencils in 2nd Grade, and fountain pen in 5th Grade. We too had desks in school like the ones you referenced, desks with old ink stains on them, with the round hole which was the holder for inkwells in the upper right hand corner. ( You are bringing back a lot of old memories of me, HJ!!!)
Since then, I have written in cursive, I really prefer using fountain pen on paper, and I cringe whenever I have to uuse the computer keyboard to write something. Well, I like using manual typewriters, but, writing with fountain pen on paper will remain mmy first choice till my dying day. :):):)
Thank you so much! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! Means a lot to me! You and I share a love for typewriters too!
An enjoyable essay. I do write almost exclusively in cursive now after many years of neglecting it. Thank you, Hemingway.
Thank you for watching, Brian! I appreciate it.
As a rather old man (60 yo), I learned to write only in cursive wich we called at the time "Palmer" because of the name of the manual's author. First using pencils and then fountain pens (Wearever, Parker and mostly Esterbrook). At the age of nine, we were taught to write in "block letters" (is it correct in english? In spanish is "letra de imprenta" or "letra de molde"). My mother had this beautiful small cursive letter which she was always cumplimented for, and my father a rather strong big writing but cursive too. They wrote cursive all their lives. Today my handwriting on the whiteboard is a mixture of cursive and print writing mainly because my pupils sadly wouldn't understand the pure cursive letter but my personal notes are always in cursive and of course, with a fountain pen. Lovely video. Very encouraging. Let me share my philosophy about pens: "Ball points and rollers are technological advances, fountain pens are examples of civilization".
I absolutely love that quote. Thank you so much for sharing it! We both learned Palmer. I am sure you see it in my writing. Was your Esterbrook a J? I love those. I think we say block letters. Thanks so much for the delightful comment and the great information. I am so glad you enjoyed this video.
I really enjoyed this. Hammond Castle looks amazing and it was nice to see your family in the video.
Thank you so much! I am so glad that you liked it. Thanks so much for watching.
Another great presentation! I love the scenic view of Hammond Castle with your daughter and wife. I love cursive writing and I too prefer a medium nib. God bless your family, HG.
Thank you so much, My Friend! Deeply appreciated!
Beautiful on many levels!
Thank you Phil! I really appreciate it.
Beautiful!! I think your best yet by far. I have rediscovered cursive in the last few years. I have been learning and practicing Copperplate lately, never thinking it would be the stress reliever that it is. I sometimes just sit and practice and relax.
My wife and I have experienced a connection with writing and fountain pens in the past few months, and your videos have helped it along. We both agreed your original three minute introductions were great and we miss them, but the new format is good too. Looking forward to the next one.
Hello CJ, I am bringing back the old intro for my Live show on Tuesday nights. I just updated a new version in 4K. You will see that soon. I miss it too! Maybe I’ll put it at the front of one soon anyway. It’s good to mix things up.
Thank you so much for watching and enjoying this. It means so much to me. So much went well. Also, I branched out in music and that helped. The biggest thing was my wife capturing some great moments.
I am so glad that you and your wife have a shared hobby. That is so great. I would love to learn Copperplate. I am working on some calligraphy.
Thanks!
Fountain pens has kept me connected with writing for years and i love writing and i can write for hours together. My penmanship is pretty good as i have been writing for years and it has improved in the process.
For me writing with my fountain pens is therapeutic for me it's a great stress buster in my opinion. I really like your videos, this one was great too.
Thank you so much. I’m so glad you enjoyed this video and equally glad that you get so much out of writing with a Fountain pen. Thank you so much for watching and I’ll see you again in the comments. Take care
Of course. In school as a child.
And the next really big solar storm may erase most electronic records. Computers are nice enough for drafts. 😜
Very good point! No one has hacked a journal
It was 2014 when I first used a fountain pen & I started writing cursive again
That’s great Glenn. Keep going strong.
Our elementary school dropped cursive writing instruction until I and several other parents raised enough of a fuss they put it back in the curriculum. I also taught my children at home. It is that important. One must know cursive to read the founding documents, otherwise they are at the mercy of whoever prints those words.
Is 84 too late to "waste " money on a new fountain pen? As an ex calligrapher you have inspired me to write again albeit in a more fluent style. Thankyou
Thanks so much! Happy to provide some inspiration. Buy whatever you feel you need and what inspires you.
Greetings from Australia.
Love the video. I agree.
What is the monastic chant at the beginning. Love it.
But... I believe in posture and believe that writing should be done at a desk. Sitting and writing on one's lap or leaning against a tree is not aesthetically correct. Sorry. 🤣
Love your video.
Thanks so much and I am glad that you enjoyed my video! The music is just free music from the UA-cam Audio Library called “Gregorian Chant.” As for writing, I am just happy to see anyone write, anywhere, at any time. Fountains pens need a little sun on them from time to time, away from the desk and out in the world. There are discoveries to be made there, new experiences, and this is where you will find me, drawing script with my impossibly light hand, memorializing the magical moments of my life. I invite you to join me, beyond the gates and their keepers. All the best!
Oh Mr. Jones, What a beautiful video & such classic, calming background music is a balm to the spirit. The castle & grounds are wonderful; the video following your lovely wife & adorable daughter on their exploration made me feel like I was exploring with them.
I have to agree the widening loss of the use of cursive in schools is saddening. Some modern schooling fails to see it as a necessary skill for some reason that I don’t understand. Several years ago I took a package to be mailed to one of the well known shipping companies ( NOT the US post office! They don’t employ illiterate teenagers). When I made out the shipping sticker with the mailing address & return address the teen looked at me in complete confusion. After some discussion back & forth the person who was in charge of him & myself finally figured out that he was incapable of reading cursive. And my cursive is definitely not illegible! I used to practice my cursive with my great aunt who was a school teacher with handwriting that was a work of art! I’ve kept as many of the letters as I could from her over the years so I can reread them & hear her voice in my head. So, back to your topic, I learned my cursive in the mid 1960’s starting with lots of patience & practice in grade school, then continued to practice with my great aunt when she was in town on visits & with my mom who also learned cursive mainly for my great aunt, mom’s dearly loved aunt. My level of cursive hasn’t quite reached their beautiful penmanship but I also write smaller & faster than they did so there’s bound to be a difference. I can actually see where my writing is more like my grandmother’s who was a treasure to me!
Thank you Hemingway, for the beautiful video, sharing your wonderful family with us, and for stirring happy memories for me!
Thank you so much for the lovely comment! Thank you so much for watching and I’m so glad you enjoyed this. It means so much to me. I can barely express it.
Thank you so much. And thanks for sharing your cursive journey with me and all of us.
I hope that you will stay with us and check in again on a future video. All the best.
Blade Runner quotes, nice!
Thank you!
At my Grammar School, Proctor on Highland Ave., Somerville, penmanship day was known for the filling of the individual student's deck inkwells and the distribution of the fountain pens. All this disappeared when the ballpoint pen arrived. But then, as a lefty, there was little woe when there no longer was the dredded smear. There was no wreck of the assignment let alone the Hespress. Now I use a fountain pen 90% of the time and print. Though at times I do miss the connectiveness of cursive. I also miss the organ conserts at the Castle.
I lived in Somerville. I had a condo on Linden Street. That was about 10 years ago. Lovely place. I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for the comment!
Just beautiful! Thank you
Thank you! I really appreciate your watching. This one is very special to me.
I think you out did yourself on this one !
Awesome
My cursive changed from state to state. I went to 7 different elementary schools in 5 different states … as an adult I created my own unique writing, my preferred writing is in cursive 👍🏻
Thanks so much! I love this one! I love when the back catalogue gets some attention.
@@HemingwayJones i’m still searching out some of your old ones and just randomly watching them ☺️👍🏻 also might just pull up one I’ve already seen but didn’t comment on and watch it again and comment. I’m weird like that.🤭
I love it and appreciate it! Some of the back catalogue is a little rough, but some I am very proud of, like this one. @@tce4159
I completely missed this video, Hemingway! I had been traveling on the day this one was posted and never viewed it until now. Goodness, what phenomenal work you've done here! This video was quite moving and profound. It reminded me of myself in the first grade trying quite desperately to write ✍ in cursive because I was a gifted student ahead of my peers in many ways and I was anxious to write in cursive as I had excelled in writing from very early onward. My teacher, bless her, had to rein me in. I've long felt a deep appreciation for cursive writing and am currently learning to write in Spencerian Script. I have always favored writing ✍ by hand and I am certain I will maintain the deeply embedded proclivity toward putting ✒ pen to paper 📃 for as long as I shall live.
Wonderful! Thanks so much for watching. This is one of my favorites. That ending scene gets me every time. You will see some footage from here in the New Year in a different video. I filmed Helen there too. So stay tuned. So glad that you enjoy my channel. You always have interesting comments.
@@HemingwayJones Aww, I appreciate your words but truly, thank YOU. Your videos are brimming with taste, intelligence, and uniquely intriguing content. The clip of your sweet little girl curled up against you nearly brought a tear to my eye as my Father perished when I was merely 13 and I dreamt of myself embracing him quite recently. I bet your daughter will look back on such moments captured on film and be so utterly grateful for it. I look forward to your future offerings. Needless to say, I'm hooked.
@@AvecPoesie Thank you so much, My Friend. I really appreciate that. It is so hard to lose a parent. My father passed when is as 18 mos so I am so happy to be a father to my daughter. I’m so glad to be here. Thanks for sharing these moments with me. All the best.
Nice video! I love to write in cursive as well. But I print when taking notes. I forgot the Lamy cursive nib on my last order. I'll make a note so that I don't forget it on my next order. Thanks for reminding me!
Thank you and thanks to your family! I needed the soul cleanse - your family should practice medicine. Best regards!
PS: I love the American style nib you used to write the poems. Its lines look so exotic, just like a quill tip.
Thank you so much! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. This video means so much to me. I am glad that you were able to see it. -That pen with the interesting nib is from the 1920s. It’s a Waterman 52 1/2 and it’s made of Ebonite and has a very flexy nib almost like a paint brush. Thanks so much!
Very inspirational. Thank you! You've inspired me to shutdown UA-cam for the night and pick up a pen. Also, what brand of boots were those?
Thanks Brandon! I am happy to have inspired you and I am glad that you enjoyed it. Those are Red Wings Blacksmiths in Briar. Love these. Big Red Wing fan. All the best!
oh this was really nicely editted. but yes very important as AI chat may take over many of the longform writing and most people are just using thumbs to twitter.
As a lefty, I've had to learn different approaches to FPs and nibs. I use print for work related things where we have a lot of abbreviations and lists, but cursive/spencerian for journalling, thoughts. Though in my hobonichi daily summaries, I use italic (printing) as a way to practice using my right hand.
Thank you so much for the kind words! I could have added a section to this film on the struggles of the left-handed. Thanks so much for your kind and encouraging words. Stay well and stop by again soon.
Fantastic video! It is very unfortunate that cursive IS a drying art. My daughter, who is 19, can't read or write in cursive! Granted, I came into her life 5 years ago and I myself only wrote in print. 🤷♀
Tragedy has a profound affect on your life's path.
I was determined to do *everything* digital! I was a software engineer. I BUILT for the digital space! Yet, a cycling accident changed my life. When I woke up from my coma, my doctors encouraged me to write *everything!* Now, I'm looking into cursive again.
Hello My Friend! Thank you for the kind words and for checking in. Thanks for sharing your journey.Wow, I hope that you are doing much better. If there is anything I can do to help keep you inspired, please let me know. Thanks!
It really does sadden me that cursive isn't being taught in American schools anymore..I learned cursive before kindergarten and even though I write print..I feel cursive helped develop my unique handwriting!
Truly! I am doing my best to promote it. It’s such a fun writing style. Thanks so much for watching.
I originally learned cursive in grade-school, but hated it & stopped using it as soon as it wasn't required.
I re-learned cursive when I got into fountain pens - turns out, the script was designed for nibs & not pencils/ball-point, so no wonder it feels more natural/fun with a fountain pen.
Wonderful!
Your videos are always very professional and well done. Congrats! Do you write the script or do you have a professional writer? They are very inspiring. Cheers!
Thank you very much! I wrote every word. I am a writer, so that helps. I write mostly about pens and menswear these days.
When I’m waking around collecting my money at the end of my work shift and a customer mentions my fountain pen, and they do, I tell them that it’s “An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” It’s a reminder to myself that though I belong to boss for eight hours and the job is mentally taxing and hard on my eyes and ears, I’m not JUST a beast of burden to be abused, another battery for this reality, to be used and thrown in the trash.. another slave to the system.. another bearing grinding away in this ugly, sweaty machine. The pen grounds me back to my humanity.
I also find them to be very grounding. I wish you all the best and thank you for watching.
Thank you again. Is that a flex nib you are using on your lever filler?
Yes! My Lever fill is a Waterman 52 1/2 with a flex nib. It’s from the 1920s and absolutely beautiful.
You look like you are getting skilled writing with it. Does this change your relationship with your Montblanc 146? Are we going to get to hear about that?
@@ericpeppe3740 Thanks so much! The 146 is definitely an ongoing relationship. It was love at first sight, then we had our first falling out, then we reconciled. Lately, we are getting closer! Haha, yes! Definitely will be an update soon. I reserve the right to evolve in my opinions! I hope that all is well!
In school. I always write cursive.
Brilliant!
I write in cursive.
Wonderful!
Cursive is easier on the hands
Where do you find theses places?😲
Massachusetts is a wonderful place! Thanks.
It is not necessary. It is just eccentricity on my part. My cursive is still bad but my Copperplate impresses others. It is the only static art I have indulged in.
Wonderful!
Cursive is the only type of writing that can match my speed of thought. Printing seems to be like a bottleneck and causes me to stumble over my thoughts. Cursive is what us old folks use to encrypt our messages.
Here here! Thanks for watching this one. This is one of my favorites. Plus the subject is dear to me. All the best.
And then there's me, who can't write in cursive :(
You don’t need to! Printing is awesome too. You can learn though too, if you wish. Either way, you are very welcome here with us.
@@HemingwayJones Thank you. This whole pen world is new to me - I'm excited to explore it!
@@Tom4ick This is a good home for you! Welcome and let us know if you have any questions.
I hate how cursive is a dying art.
We will hold the line. All the best!