The MacLean Method of Writing

[Ole Juul]

I went to school in British Columbia in the 50s and 60s and we were taught the MacLean Method. I just decided to go for a stroll down memory lane and found the actual book on the Internet Archive. What a nostalgia hit for me!

We had exercise books and spent a little time carefully learning the method in grade four. I remember that year, Mr. MacLean actually came to my class and gave a talk. I think back, how special was that! I didn't think so then, but I read now that he was from Victoria, just across the water, so it made sense that he would tour the Vancouver school system to promote his method, and handwriting in general.

Back in my school days, I embraced the method and practiced it for some years after, until my writing became more and more print style and eventually ended up in my own totally straight print. Part of that was that I'm not really a fan of calligraphy or cursive writing, but even more that it was actually easier (at least for me) to write clearly that way. I also had started to develop a deep interest in letter press and typography. Cursive writing just didn't satisfy my need for readability - especially the desire to positively communicate writing to anybody. Series of mixed numbers and letters, like we see nowadays, cannot be positively reproduced, and I shudder to think of trying to read a list of passwords in cursive. Times have changed.

I remember reading letters from my grandmother, and others who go back to the 1800s. I didn't have a problem. Nor did they have a problem reading my response. Both my parents wrote lots of letters, and it was in cursive. Though funnily enough, my dad's writing gradually changed to printing as he got older. My mother always wrote in cursive and it was very fluid, to the point that it was difficult to read, even then. I still remember as a child trying to decipher a grocery list where she had written "cardemumme" (the Danish word for cardamon). As well, her "u" and "i", and other letters, were virtually indistinguishable. It was however, as I said, very fluid and consistent. Actually very beautiful in its own way. My parents are of course long gone, and now I'm just left with reading their old letters and note books. It's a bit hard, but I work at it.

The MacLean method was not pretty. Even the best examples look clunky to me. So now that I've gotten a deeper interest in pen and ink, I thought I'd try it again. Surprisingly it didn't take long to remember. Still, I don't like joining letters, and the whole idea of cursive just doesn't inspire me. I might still try it a bit more though. It will help re-coordinate my aging muscles, and perhaps help my reading of old letters too.

Here is an excellent story about the history of The Maclean Method in Canada.


Regards,
Ole