29

SUNDAY

One of our first assignments in kindergarten was to write our names. Like most of my classmates, I covered my piece of posterboard with giant, shaky, drunkenly leaning block capitals. I was proud of myself—after all, I’d gotten the spelling right. (In those days, I often wrote my name “ELNNY.”) But I was crestfallen when everyone else’s creations were pinned up: One girl had written her name in cursive, something I thought only adults could use. I was furious, jealous, and fascinated, and tried to duplicate her elegant style by mixing eccentric loops and curlicues randomly into my clumsy printing. My teacher sent a note home to my parents, explaining that she couldn’t read my assignments; I had to wait two years before learning cursive. I still can’t write my name too well, but today’s “Learn to Use Calligraphy to Write Your Name” workshop just might help me overcome my longstanding feelings of signatory inadequacy. At 1 and 2:30 p.m. at the Capital Children’s Museum, 800 3rd St. NE. Free. (202) 675-4120. (Leonard Roberge)