221. Scribe
The Allusionist
Helen Zaltzman
4.7 • 3.8K Ratings
🗓️ 23 November 2025
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"I have never felt so naked. That's how exposed I felt at the idea that my handwriting was going to be seen by the world," says Tim Brookes, founder of the Endangered Alphabets Project and author of the new book about handwriting By Hand: Can the Art of Writing Be Saved? Writing the book (yes, by hand!) celebrates the act of handwriting, even overcoming the shame arising from his own.
Visit theallusionist.org/scribe for more information about Tim's work and today's topics, plus a transcript of the episode.
Support the show at theallusionist.org/donate and as well as keeping this independent podcast going, you also get to list your creative works in this year's Allusioverse Gift Guide, plus behind-the-scenes info about every episode; livestreams with me reading from my ever-growing collection of dictionaries; and the charming and nurturing Allusioverse Discord community, where among daily sharing of thoughts and amusements, we're watching The Princess Bride, the current season of Great Canadian Baking Show, and Game of Wool.
This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, on the unceded ancestral and traditional territory of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Martin Austwick. Download his own songs at palebirdmusic.com and on Bandcamp, and listen to his podcasts Song By Song and Neutrino Watch.
Find the Allusionist at youtube.com/allusionistshow, instagram.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow, @allusionistshow.bsky.social… If I’m there, I’m there as @allusionistshow.
Our ad partner is Multitude. If you want me to talk compellingly about your product, sponsor an episode: contact Multitude at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by:
• Greenwood Lake Roasters, purveyors of small batch craft coffee roasted just outside of NYC. Go to GreenwoodLakeRoasters.com to place your order - do it between now and December 31st and use the checkout code ALLUSIONIST to get 10% off small batch coffee and subscription orders.
• Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running your online forever home. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allusionist.
• Home Chef, meal kits that fit your needs. For a limited time, Home Chef is offering Allusionist listeners fifty per cent off and free shipping on your first box, plus free dessert for life, at HomeChef.com/allusionist.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is the illusionist in which I, Helen Zaltzman, twirl language around my finger like a villain's moustache. |
| 0:10.0 | Today's episode is about the physical act of writing by hand and one man's journey from shame to, well, somewhere else. |
| 0:19.0 | It's odd that shame has come up two episodes in a row. |
| 0:21.4 | After the last episode, I received the following message from Henrik, who said in the |
| 0:25.7 | episode, disobedience. |
| 0:27.3 | You said that you can't imagine living without shame, slightly paraphrasing here maybe, |
| 0:31.7 | and that was the first time I heard that phrase out of another person's mouth. |
| 0:35.7 | I felt seen. |
| 0:37.1 | What a warm feeling that was. Thank you. |
| 0:39.7 | Well, thank you, Henrik, for sending me that. Now what do we actually do about the shame? |
| 0:44.0 | I'll let you know if I find out. The gift guide industrial complex has kicked in heavily this week, |
| 0:49.8 | making me have queasy thoughts of landfill. So for the second year running, I offer the Illusiverse gift guide, which is a gift guide with a difference. Any member of the Illusiverse who makes something, paintings, zines, music, writing, podcasts, yarn crafts, fabric creations, handforged spoons, felted pet hair, any kind of art or craft or creative output is welcome as long as you made it yourself. |
| 1:11.3 | It doesn't even have to be for sale. You just like more people to acquaint themselves with your Urvre. You can post it in the Illusionverse Gift Guide. Everyone will be able to browse it, but only members of the Illusioniverse can list themselves. Want in? Sign up at theelusionist.org slash donate for as little $2 a month. And you're also helping this independent podcast exist, |
| 1:29.7 | and you get extra written content and live streams, |
| 1:32.5 | plus the company of your fellows in the Illusiaverse Discord. |
| 1:35.4 | It's an all right deal, Nat. |
| 1:36.6 | Get it at theillusionist.org slash donate. |
| 1:38.9 | You can also give a gift membership. |
| 1:41.1 | On with the show. |
| 1:55.5 | I have the overhead light reflecting off my forehead, which makes me look significantly bolder than I actually am, which is just... |
| 1:58.0 | I was thinking it made you look more like a Rembrandt painting. |
| 2:02.1 | Oh, I love it. I'll do it. Yeah, yeah. My middle name is Caroscuro. It's my Italian mother. |
... |
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