The lost art of handwriting

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

• The Format: This is a narrative-driven podcast episode from Vox's Explain It to Me, hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. It blends expert interviews with listener anecdotes and cultural analysis.
• The Key Players:
  • Jonquilyn Hill (Host): The curious, engaging narrator who guides the listener through the topic with personal reflections and sharp questions.
  • Sean Datrick (Professor of Special Education, University of Iowa): The educational expert who explains the history of handwriting in schools, the impact of Common Core, and the recent legislative push to bring cursive back.
  • Christine Rosen (Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute): The cultural commentator who explores the deeper psychological and social implications of writing by hand, including its link to memory and "embodied cognition."
  • Sarah Herschander (Vox Fellow): The reporter who investigates how our shift from tactile to digital experiences is affecting our sense of touch, especially in children.
• The Vibe: Educational & Reflective. The tone is thoughtful and conversational, mixing nostalgia with hard data. It’s not sad, but it carries a gentle urgency about what we might be losing.

🗝️ Key Themes & Topics