Off Topic: The weird history of handwriting
From cuneiform to Coca-Cola.
In his Confessions, written around the year 400 AD, Saint Augustine mentions his shock upon coming across a friend who was reading a book without saying the words out loud as he went. Reading in your head! It's odd in 2021 to read about Augustine's astonishment and realise that the act of silently reading to yourself was an act that had to be learned. It arrived a surprisingly long time after written language.
I read about Saint Augustine and his strange discovery in Anne Trubek's new book, "The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting." It's a fascinating examination of a subject I hadn't really given much thought to. Handwriting - is there much to say about that? It turns out there is.
Subscribe to Eurogamer to read this article
Subscribe today and gain access to our ad-free reading experience, exclusive features, and more.
