Writing that Isn’t

BY COMMON UNDERSTANDING, writing is a graphic means of recording sound and meaning. It is not language per se, but a selective expression of that basic human attribute, as leavened and mediated by writing itself. Other messages come through as well. Think of emoticons, which encapsulate facial features and emotional states, or, in Christian contexts, a cross that is affixed to the names of the dead. To most scholars, systems of writing do not just operate as mere vehicles for language. They ...