News for the handwriting professional and serious student

April - June, 2015

Inside This Issue

n Alex Rodriguez - Handwriting
Analysis
n Committee Reports

n Chapter Reports

n Newly Certified Member

n What happened on National

Handwriting Day?
n Random thoughts of a
16-year-old graphologist
n Breaking News

n Tributes

n Supplement: Does
Graphotherapy work?
 Things My
Mother
Will you be Taught
Me
there? My mother
taught me to
appreciate a
I know it’s early, but please consider this is a personal job well done:
invitation from me to you for the July 11th AHAF confer- “If you’re going to kill each other, do it
ence event of 2015. The first event was a rousing success, with over 50 people regis- outside. I just finished cleaning.”
tered. What’s extra exciting is, those people joined us from around the world via My mother taught me religion:
Zoom web conferencing. “You’d better pray that will come out of
Just as if we had all been sitting in the same lecture hall, Roger Rubin and Pat the carpet.”
Siegel each spoke for ninety minutes, sharing handwriting samples and knowledge. My mother taught me about time
Only this time, there was no expense and hassle of travel. It was as easy as turning on travel: “If you don’t straighten up, I’m
your computer or TV and logging on. The talks were taped, so in addition to the hand- going to knock you into the middle of
outs, everyone who registered got a link to the videos at no additional cost (in the past, next week!”
videos were sold separately). That means, if you couldn’t make it to the live lectures, My mother taught me logic: “Be-
you could download and access them at your leisure. cause I said so, that’s why.”
Several people hosted viewing parties in our homes, with those living in reasonable My mother taught me more logic. “If
proximity getting together, just like at a chapter meeting. At my house, eight chapter you fall out of that swing and break your
members shared a delicious potluck lunch. Before and between the lectures, we were neck, you’re not going to the store with
able to interact with our colleagues on-screen from India, South Africa, Canada, the me.”
US, and England. This was really fun! And it’s going to be even more fun as we add My mother taught me foresight:
door prizes, plus special group pricing for viewing parties. Party hosts will also re- “Make sure you wear clean underwear,
ceive a gift. Contact Val for information: valweil@comcast.net in case you’re in an accident.”
The July 11th speakers will be Beverley East and Mark Reddy, and at the third My mother taught me irony. “Keep
event, October 10th, Sarah Holmes Tucker and Adam Brand. Plus, we are planning to crying, and I’ll give you something to
add some surprise speakers—see enclosed flyer and stand by for more information. cry about.”
In 2016, AAHA will host its regular in-person conference, which AHAF is happy My mother taught me about the sci-
to support. In 2017, AHAF’s 50-year anniversary, we are planning to meet in the San ence of osmosis: “Shut your mouth and
Francisco Bay Area, where the organization was born. Of course, we’ll offer the pro- eat your supper.”
ceedings via Zoom for those who are unable to attend in person. My mother taught me contortionism:
Change is hard, and for some of you, this new way of meeting may seem a bit in- “Will you look at that dirt on the back of
timidating. To make it more comfortable, the inestimable Val Weil makes herself your neck!”
freely available to help one-on-one anyone who has not yet attended a webinar and My mother taught me about stamina.
would like to see how it works. A ten minute chat is plenty to learn the easy-to-use “You’ll sit there until all that spinach is
features of Zoom. Just download Zoom free for your computer, phone, or tablet: gone.”
www.zoom.us. You don’t even have to have a web cam (though it feels more inclusive
if you do).
If for some reason you are not interested in attending the conference via web The Vanguard is the sole property of Sheila
conferencing, I would personally appreciate knowing why not. The AHAF board is Lowe. A quarterly publication, it is A bene-
constantly working on your behalf, and we’re all volunteers, so if there’s some way fit of AHAF membership or by subscription
we can make it easier for you to participate in our events, we want to know it. for $25 electronic. Advertisements related to
What are you waiting for? You don’t have to book a flight or hotel, figure out what handwriting analysis will be considered. The
to wear, or get a cat/dog sitter. All you have to do is register—at a discount, too, if you Vanguard logo on the cover of this issue was
are an AHAF or AAHA member. There’s plenty of time to ask questions, so fire away. created by Lena Rivkin. John Hookey is our
We, as the AHAF board of one of the most progressive graphology organizations in copy editor.Send articles, questions, comments
the world, are proud to serve our members. As president, and as editor of this publica- and other contributions to:
tion, I encourage those nonmember subscribers to consider joining. After being a sheila@sheilalowe.com
member myself for nearly 40 years, I can attest that Web site: www.sheilalowe.com
AHAF keeps getting better and better.
Phone: 805/658-0109 Fax 805/658-1013

2 The Vanguard April - June 2015


Alex Rodriguez —— Handwriting
Analysis
A couple
of weeks ago
I got a call from The New Jersey Star
Ledger to analyze the handwriting of
baseball player for the Yankees, Alex
Rodriguez. A-Rod, as he is known, was
apologizing to his fans because he had,
in the past, taken performance enhancing
drugs.
View the article and A-Rod’s full
letter here.
I was on deadline, so looked him up
quickly, saw that he has hit as many
home runs as Willy Mays, and I also
knew that he had a contract with the
Yankees paying him something like a
quarter of a billion dollars. However, I
haven’t really followed baseball since I
was a kid, and frankly knew very little
about his background, so I spent about
an hour looking at the writing and
banged out an analysis.
The story went out, and the following
morning I appeared on Good Day NY,
Fox TV on the phone with the two an-
April - June 2015
M a rc J . S e i f e r, P h . D .
nouncers pointing out various aspects to
A-Rod’s handwriting.
The first thing they asked was if I
thought that the writing was really writ-
ten by A-Rod’s girlfriend because Paula
Sassi had commented in a Wall Street
Journal article that the writing looked
feminine. I was flying by the seat of my
pants. I had to assume that this was a le-
gitimate handwritten letter from A-Rod.
I certainly saw feminine traits in that the
writing has a warm-hearted feel to it
seen in the right slant, pastosity and gen-
eral roundedness of various letter forms.
At the same time I knew that this base-
ball player is one of the greatest in the
history of the game and you don’t get
there by being “feminine.” Thus I em-
phasized, that (1) You can’t generally
tell the gender of a writer by his hand-
writing. I mentioned Barack Obama
whose writing I think is difficult to see
as being written by a male or a female;
and (2) I discussed the masculine traits
in the writing, in particular its large size
The Vanguard
and angularity. What follows is the analysis
that I emailed to The New Jersey Star Led-
ger followed by additional comments:
The great legibility along with the natural
right slant and general rounded of the writ-
ing, points to an outgoing, people-oriented,
highly social person. Because the writing is
so friendly, people would naturally be at-
tracted to such an individual. This is a real
sign of charisma. Alex cares about others
and he cares about how he is perceived. He’s
the genuine article.
On the negative side, in the last para-
graph, Alex subconsciously writes the word
“passible” instead of “possible” so that the
sentence actually reads, “I will do everything
I can to be the best player and teammate
passable.” This Freudian slip when linked to
the sharp angles to the left under the r’s on
the word “regret” (third line of the first para-
graph) suggests real guilt and pain associ-
ated with the mistakes he made when taking
performance enhancing drugs, when he
knew, of course, that he didn’t need to.
3
 The apology in this letter squares
with the handwriting. This is the writing
of a sincere guy. He oozes confidence,
seen in the large, bold writing and tall
clear capitals. Considering his enormous
success, this is also the writing of a hum-
ble man. The fact that all or almost all i’s
are dotted shows his attention to detail.
This trait along with his tendency to turn
down the endings on such letters as the
g’s and y’s is linked to a certain grim de-
termination to continue on in the face of
adversity. Sharp angles can be seen on
ending n’s such as in the words “situa-
tion” and “than” (fourth line), and on the
ending n of “win,” (last word on the sec-
ond page before the salutation). These
sharp angles correspond to an aggressive
nature able to read a pitcher and know
how to go for the kill, which in Alex’s
terms, is associated with slamming a ball
over the fence for another home run.
This is the sign of one sharp cookie.
At the very end of the letter, Alex
combines the “l” and “y” in the creation
of the word “Sincerely.” This is a neat
simplification. It is a sign of high intelli-
gence, the ability to cut out what is un-
necessary to get to the heart of the
matter. The clear and modest signature
along with the large bold capital “I’s” all
correspond to someone who knows who
he is and someone embedded with a bold
self-confidence.
That is what I wrote without seeing
Paula Sassi’s analysis and before I dis-
cussed the handwriting with Ruth
Holmes and did a bit more research.
Paula emphasized the feminine aspects
to the writing, the hypersensitivity as
seen in the looped verticals on the “t’s”
and a tendency to overprotect the self as
seen in the encircling capital “A” in
Alex. She also discussed the tendency to
be able to hide aspects of himself as sug-
gested by the retraced “e” in Alex.
Both Ruth and I saw a lot of positives
in the handwriting seen in the bold clar-
ity and excellent organization. As with
Sheila Lowe, we all also commented on
the persona aspect of the handwriting.
It’s a bit too perfect. Through conformity
and the ability to blend in, the real self
can be kept hidden. Ruth said that the
entanglements of the lower-loops with
the line beneath pointed to a robust li-
bido and was a negative trait. Although I
4 The Vanguard
also saw the entanglements, I was also ing. I certainly did see the feminine traits that
amazed that given the size of the writing Paula saw, and in looking at a few interviews
that A-Rod also had the ability to often of Alex, he mentioned wanting to be a good
write large lower zone loops and not father to his daughter on several occasions.
have them interfere with the line beneath My guess would be that he had a good rela-
which I saw as a positive compromise. tionship with his mother or a strong-hearted
The only other way to deal with such a mother figure in his early life.
large handwriting would have been to But the end result is that this is the hand-
increase the space between lines. Had he writing of a guy who cheated. Being a con-
done so, the letter may have extended it- formist, he was competing with many other
self to three pages. So, in a sense, the cheaters who, as a matter of course, also took
writer created a compromise. He kept his performance enhancing drugs (e.g., Sammy
large writing at the expense of some- Sosa, Mark McGwire and Roger Clemens to
name three more). So, for A-Rod to stay com-
petitive, as part of the nature of what the game
has become, he took shots to increase his
muscle mass.
Is he sorry he did it? My guess is that part
of him is, but part of him is also simply prag-
matic. He would not have hit as many home
runs if he had stayed clean. So, where does
this show up in his handwriting? Actually, it’s
all throughout his writing, see in the persona
aspect, the ability to hide behind convention
and put up a good front, in the unnatural
breaks, such as between the “n” and “s” and
“I” and “t” in the word “responsibility” in the
top line, in the abundance of arcades such as
times having the lower zone of one line in the “m” in “mistakes,” in the sharp angles
interfere with the line beneath it. such as in the “m” of “time” and the “h” in
When I first analyzed the handwrit- “Yankees,” 8th line, second paragraph, in the
ing, I was taken by the low-key signa- over-cautiousness in the writing and in the
ture of such a big star and I saw that as a tendency to turn down the endings such as in
humble streak. I was also quite aware the “y” of “responsibility” line 1, “my” line 2,
that Alex also has very large capital I’s, and so on. This trait is linked to doing what
so I think we see a contradiction. In cer- needs to be done to succeed.
tain ways he is humble, but in other In the second paragraph, in the word “be-
ways, he has a very big ego. lieve” he has an extra loop-de-loop between
This writing is essentially bold, forth- the “b” and “e” and an unnatural break be-
right and confident. However, when you tween the “I” and “e.” My overall impression
really get into the blood and guts of just is that this is a powerful, confident and enthu-
who Alex Rodriguez is, you begin to see siastic handwriting. It displays charisma and
that he did indeed take quite a cocktail has all the characteristics of a star. But for this
of performance enhancing drugs. And individual to succeed in such a difficult arena,
the end result is that this man is much he was a follower, a conformist, he took the
larger and more muscular than he would expedient way out. He did what he had to, or
have ever been had he not taken these what he thought he had to, to succeed, and
drugs. Much like Barry Bonds who has then, because of his underneath-it-all, cautious
more home runs than Babe Ruth and and well-protected nature, he boldly stated
Hank Aaron (two men who never took “I’m innocent!” when in fact, he was anything
such drugs), all one has to do is compare but.
photographs of these men before and af- Marc Seifer is the author of: The Definitive
ter to see what such drugs do to their Book of Handwriting Analysis.
physique. mseifer@verizon.net
In general, and as a rule, I try to look
for the positive in a person’s handwrit-
April - June 2015
 Do your reports look like this?
(We hope not!)
You have a great need for other people to like and admire you.
You have a tendency to be critical of yourself.
You have a great deal of unused capacity which you have not turned to your advantage.
While you have some personality weaknesses you are generally able to compensate for them.
Your sexual adjustment has presented problems for you.
Disciplined and self-controlled outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure inside.
At least you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing.
You prefer a certain amount of change and variety and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restriction and limitations.
You pride yourself as an independent thinker and do not accept others’ statements without satisfactory proof.
You have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others.
At times you are extroverted, affable, sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary, reserved.
Some of your aspirations tend to be pretty unrealistic.
Security is one of your major goals in life.

(Thanks to Milt Moore for contributing this generic analysis)

If these statements feel familiar, it’s time to ask yourself whether you are being helpful to your client. While these kinds of
generic statements may be true, if a roomful of people could relate to them, there may be something missing in your report. In
addition, the following checklist and tips, compiled by the late Dr. Ze’ev Bar-Av, can help you make sure you are best serving
your clients.

Report Writing Checklist

1. Does the report focus on the reason for the analysis?
2. Is all of the content relevant?
3. Is interpretation sufficiently focused (not too general)?
4. Are conclusions adequately supported?
5 Is speculation within reason and properly labeled as such?
6. Is the report written to be meaningful and useful?
7. Are exhibitionistic or offensive remarks avoided?
8. Is the language clear and unambiguous?
9. Is word usage appropriate - free of graphological jargon?
10. Is the report too long (padded, redundant, rambling, unfocused, offering useless content)?
11. Is the style appropriate for the reader?
12. Is the report logically and effectively organized?
13. Are there any contradictions?
14. Does the report make recommendations, if appropriate?

Report Writing Tips

Do not start writing the report unless you know what your closing paragraph is going to be.
Never offer any conclusion unless you can clearly show supportive material.
Once the report is written and submitted the report must stand on its merits. You will probably not be there to explain what
you meant, nor to add or delete.
A comprehensive statement covers three areas of functioning:
1. The factual observable behavior: tells what the subject is doing.
2. The experiential mode: describes how the writer behaves.
3. The dynamics of the behavior: explains why the writer behaves the way he does.

To that we might add, be specific whenever you can (it’s the “telling details” that the recipient of the analysis will best relate
to), don’t predict the future, and even if the writing is filled with negative aspects, remember that the negativity comes from the
writer’s pain and leave him with something that will make him feel good.

April - June 2015 The Vanguard 5

Chapter Coordinator – Val Weil
The AHAF Chapter Coordinator reports that we have sev-
eral regional groups (SoCal, NorCal, North Bay Cal, Rocky
Mountain Colorado, Tucson Arizona, East Pennsylvania Fo-
rum) that are doing well. Our Northern New Jersey group has
been on hiatus during the cold winter months, and we all
know how hard the east coast was hit with snow this year! The
Online Chapter is doing very well, and invites any member
who wants to connect online to come and see what they have
to offer. We have inquiries about groups becoming AHAF
Chapters or Study Groups from South Carolina, and the Mary-
land/DC areas. Some are existing IGAS groups looking for a
connection, and some are brand new groups. If you know of
any individual that wishes to connect with a group for that
personal attention, or a group that needs some love and help,
please let AHAF Val Weil know. She will be happy to assist
them. valweil@comcast.net
Research Chair – Jane Yank
Jane was asked about handwriting research from a
non-handwriting analyst (a computer scientist) from Iran,
which she was happy to provide. Providing information on the
biomechanics of handwriting movements as well as psycho-
logical and physiological factors related to anxiety and arousal
should prove helpful in their research. Janeyank@visi.net
Library – Linda Green
The Library has recently accepted sizeable donations from
donors Betty Levin and Kim Iannetta, for which we are grate-
ful. They will be added to our Library lists soon. For more in-
formation on what’s going on with the Marcel B. Matley
AHAF Research Library and HARL, tune in to the AHAF On-
line Chapter Meeting, hosted by Val Weil, on April 18th,
where Linda Green will be updating you on what’s old, what’s
new, and how the library can best serve you.
Education Report – Linda Green
The online Tuesday Study Group continues to meet each
week from 6-7 p.m. PST via Zoom.us, until Memorial Day.
Do you have handwriting samples you are curious about?
Share them with our diverse group of analysts who are quali-
fied at many levels from beginner to “old timers.” Members
are always welcome. Non-members may attend two compli-
mentary meetings to check us out. To sign up contact Linda
Green greenmsngr@gmail.com.
6 The Vanguard
Certification Report – Linda Green
Congratulations to Ralph Zackheim, who recently passed
the AHAF Certification Exam! Ralph is featured in another
section of this newsletter. Two other members are currently
working on Part 2 of the Exam. Contact Linda if you are inter-
ested in applying for certification or working towards it.
Campaign for Cursive – Gayna Scott
Jump on board with us, we’ve got many initiatives in mo-
tion. You can participate in one or many events, flow in and
out depending on your schedule. Have you “liked” our
Facebook page yet? We’re up to 388 Likes and would love to
reach 500 before May 20th. With help from Val Weil, Sheila
Lowe and I are invited to speak at the Writing Instrument
Manufacture’s Association (WIMA) conference. If we can get
those 500 Likes, it will help them see that we have a worth-
while cause and a following. We are delighted to have the op-
portunity to talk to such a prestigious group who is also
invested in handwriting.
Our international reach has expanded. As you can imagine,
handwriting is a global concern. Most recently we’ve con-
nected with the producers of National Stationery Week from
the UK and their partners in NYC, Cambridge University
Press in the UK, AIPS and Angris from Italy. You can check
out our website www.cursiveiscool.com for more of our sup-
porters.
There are a few weeks left before our annual Cursive is
Cool contest. You can grab all the info on our website. Last
year we had entries from 12 states and are hoping we’ve got
more kids enthused about writing this year.
www.cursiveiscool.com
We are always looking to increase our reach. If you know
anyone that we should be working with, email me with the
info and we’ll take it from there. Gayna@comcast.net
Communications – Theresa Ortega
The AHAF Facebook page has 18 new likes. The
Campaign for Cursive page had +97, which biggest gain in
any quarter so far, fueled by our National Handwriting Day
efforts, our PR, and new partnerships. The Online Chapter
page had +3.
With your help, these numbers can grow exponentially.
Please Like our pages and share with your Friends list.
April - June 2015
Northern California: In lieu of
the March meeting, chapter
members convened at Stan
Crouch’s home to view the online
conference event.
Northern New Jersey: No
report received.
Rocky Mountain: will meet
on Saturday March 28. Sue Frank will present on the
Battered Woman syndrome. This is a physical and
psychological condition of a person who has suffered
emotional, physical, or sexual abuse at the hands of another
person. We will learn how domestic violence presents in
handwriting. Susan Frank has been studying handwriting
for over 30 years and uses handwriting at work as an RN
and Colorado Addiction counselor.
Tucson: The chapter was visited by AHAF's President, Sheila
Lowe, in January, where she presented a fascinating program on
the handwritings of well-known psychologists. This year, we are
planning a public outreach program, offering free lectures to the
public on the importance of cursive handwriting, signatures,
doodles, and other topics directed to the public to raise awareness
of handwriting training and graphology. These free lectures will
be offered to the public in lieu of monthly meetings and will rely
upon experience and talent within the chapter. The public
outreach program will include local advertising in order to draw
attention to the free lectures.
Southern California: Our spring chapter meeting was a
potluck viewing party at the first conference event. Members and
guests got together at Sheila Lowe’s home and enjoyed watching
the speakers on the TV screen and sharing an array of goodies.
Our summer meeting will coincide with the July 11th conference
event and will be held at the home of another member.
North Bay: will meet on April 25th, 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the
Rohnert Park Senior Center, Rohnert Park, CA (7 miles south of
Santa Rosa). If you live in the Santa Rosa area or within driving
Ralph Zackheim, CG began his study of handwrit-
ing analysis by taking a series of classes and seminars
offered by Ted Widmer in San Francisco in the late
1980s and beyond. With encouragement from Ted and
others, Ralph began providing handwriting analysis in
the 1990s under the name, Handwriting Interpreters.
Ralph’s main interests in handwriting analysis include
practical applications of graphology: employment gra-
phology, self-knowledge, compatibility and team building. Since berta) Canada, while remaining in close touch with his U.S.
the early 2000s he has worked with Northern California photogra- Colleagues. Ralph is extremely appreciative of AHAF’s certif-
phers desirous of complementing their people-centered photogra- ication process, which he describes as “a demanding and re-
warding learning process.” spen28@yahoo.com
April - June 2015 The Vanguard
distance, come join us. Our next
meeting will feature:
Compatibility (Joan Kramer);
Find a Date for Sally (Linda
Green and Joan Kramer), Young
Love (Ed Castellini)
Pennsylvania: Here is a
preview of just some topics we
will discuss at the Pennsylvania Handwriting Analysis Forum:
• Stunted ending strokes
• Jealousy, a new book by Peter Tookey is all about that one trait
that can be the cause of so much hurt in peoples’ lives.
• More tactful ways to express some traits.
• Question Miss Manners had to answer-Should I feel cold from
my friend’s “special day” cards all being sent in calligraphy?
• What are the personality traits of a cheater? Where are they
found in handwriting?
• What is the difference between a shy person, an introvert, and a
highly sensitive person?
• Should an analyst appear on a TV program to analyze small
samples on the spur of the moment?
• Where has Renna Nezos been all of my life? We will review her
recently found superb 1986 book, Graphology.
Internet: The AHAF Online Chapter is doing well. This new
group is now into its second year. We have a steady attendance at
their monthly online meetings, and the group is growing. The
Online Chapter welcomes anyone for the first two visits, no strings
attached. After two visits, we ask participants to join the Chapter
group (Annual dues of $15). You can join, view activities, and see
the list of speakers (past, present and coming attractions) at the
chapter website.
On Saturday, April 18th at 11:00 AM PST, the chapter welcomes
featured speaker, Linda Green. As AHAF Librarian, Linda will
review some of the amazing holdings in our Library, including
fascinating and little known items, audio, books, monographs, and
so much more. Linda will show us how to access the materials from
our Library using the new online service. It's easy and efficient,
whether you want to purchase a book, download a monograph, or
borrow a book using the lending library services. Join us!
phy with analyses of the graphic expres-
sion of the subjects of their work.
Ralph has been a member of AHAF
since June, 2007. He holds a B.A. in His-
tory from the University of California and
an M.A. in Geography from California
State University, East Bay. His full time
career includes extensive work in social
services, employment and training, and
work with immigrants and English learn-
ers. He is fluent in Spanish and Russian.
Ralph currently resides in Calgary (Al-
7
 What Happened on
National Handwriting
Day?
­ Theresa Ortega appeared on Channel 2 TV in Terre Haute, England, Holland, India.
IN. In the US, we celebrate
John Hancock’s birthday,
­ Jack Hammond led a group of kids in a discussion at the January 23rd. Italian gra-
Cesar Chavez Library in Salinas, CA. He’s already planning phologists celebrate Abbé
ahead for 2016, and hopes to get the California State Michon’s birthday, No-
Superintendent to attend his next event, which will showcase vember 21st, "Día del
cursive writing in “Steinbeck Country.” Grafólogo", or "Day of
­ Gayna Scott and Nancy Cohen shared with kids at the
the Graphologist"
The Campaign for Cur-
Children’s Museum in Tucson, AZ, plus they appeared for a
sive committee is cur-
second time on Channel 9’s Morning Blend.
rently working in
­ Iris Hatfield enjoyed a homemade chocolate pecan pie with a cooperation with graphol-
cursive note to wish her a happy National Handwriting Day ogists in other
at Highlands Latin School in
Louisville, KY.
­ Sheila Lowe shared handwritings
of young celebrities with 8th
graders at Anacapa Middle
School in Ventura, CA.
­ Judy Stevens was presented with
a proclamation declaring National
Handwriting Day January 23rd by
the Board of County
Commissioners Sumter County,
FL.
­ Sally Grammar made an
informational display board for
the Rocky Mountain Chapter, CO.
­ Thanks to Irene Levitt’s efforts, a
Iris Hatfield and friend, Handwriting Pie

dialogue has begun with the AZ

Department of Education. Irene
has made the Arizona Secretary
countries to make January
of State aware of the cursive
23rd an International Hand-
problem in public schools and
writing Day. Plan ahead to
was able to get a meeting with
join us. Let us know what
Senator Ward at the State you would like to do.
capital, where she, Gayna Scott, At the very least, please
and Nancy Cohen provided Like our Facebook page.and
accurate information about the post the date in your social
importance of maintaining media outlets. Don’t wait
cursive training in schools. for the next NHD, do it to-
Events were held in at least 16 day!
states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, IN, FL, KY,
MA, MD, MI, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC,
TX, and these countries: Switzerland, Sheila Lowe at Anacapa Middle School

8 The Vanguard April - June 2015


Random thoughts of a
16-year-old graphologist
Mathew Thomas - India
I learn so many subjects in school,
some I most probably won’t need
later—physics, chemistry, computer sci-
ence etc. In most schools, there is no op-
tion for behavioral sciences in the 11th or
12th grade, so I took natural sciences in
order to get a good scientific base. However, I have found it in-
teresting and fascinating how the natural sciences and the be-
havioral sciences parallel.
For example,
take the case of
stress and strain
in physics. First
of all, the defini-
tion of stress: the
restoring force
acting per unit
area when an external force is applied
on a body.
This means the force applied exter-
nally is not the stress. Rather, it is the
reaction of the body to the force. Peo-
ple who go through similar situations
react to them differently. One who re-
acts with anxiety and fear is stressed.
One who takes the same situation in
stride and adjusts accordingly is not
stressed. Thus, stress is from an inter-
nal, not external source.
April - June 2015 The Vanguard
We have different types of substances
which react differently to stress (just as
there are different types of people): plastic
substances, elastic substances, elastomers
etc. Plastic substances get permanently de-
formed on the application of a stress, they
offer no restoring force. This parallels peo-
ple who have either very high tension or ex-
tremely low tension in their handwriting.
Elastic substances offer a restoring force.
In elastic substances, strain (change in di-
mensions (length, area etc.) due to stress) is
directly proportional to strain (more stress =
more strain), but when the stress is removed, the body can come
back to its original dimensions (no permanent deformation).
Such people would have flexible
writing with adequate tension, as
in Pophal II or III. However, be-
yond a certain stress called elas-
tic limit, the strain starts
increasing rapidly with only a
little stress and the body gets
permanently deformed. Soon, if
the stress is not removed, the
body will break.
Another interesting term I
came across is ‘elastic fatigue:’ the loss of strength of a material
due to repeated strain on the material. I thought all of this was
true in the case of human behavior too.
Looks like learning Physics is useful after all :)
mathewthomk@gmail.com
9
 several classes of 8th graders, Freethinkers, and a
four-hour class in signature authentication to an
insurance company. Most recently, she was asked by the
website AnimalNewYork.com to analyze signatures of
senators who signed the infamous letter to Iran, and was
quoted in the L.A. Times on accused killer Robert Durst.

” AHAF’s youngest member, Mathew Thomas in India, has

been invited by the Junior Chamber International, to
speak to a group of children ages 13-16. The theme is
youth empowerment, the main focus to encourage these
young people to follow their dreams and convince them
that age is not a barrier. Mathew will provide instruction
about handwriting, sharing samples of celebrities they can
relate to, and showing the importance of retaining cursive
handwriting for their future. Mathew also had the honor
of having an excellent article he wrote published in The Tucson Chapter meeting. Standing: Tricia Clapp, Celia Calderon and son
Hindu, a prestigious publication in his country. Calvin, Julie, Winnie, Wicky, Lynn Monroy, Elizabeth, Darlene Randolph.
Seated: Sheila Lowe, Bill and Chele Logan, Gayna Scott
” Lena Rivkin’s latest article on autism, titled Digital Sheila presented Gayna with a tiara for her tireless efforts as chair of the
Campaign for Cursive committee.
Hangover, was published in the Autism Support Network.
Lena also presented The Secret in Your Script to students
of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Class at
” The California North Bay Chapter launched its new
Cal State University Channel Islands, and along with
website: http://www.ahafnorthbaychapter.weebly.com
Sheila Lowe, spoke to a responsive audience at the Simi
Valley Library in recognition of International ” Sally Grammar in the Colorado Chapter shared an article
Handwriting Month. in the Denver Post regarding a professor who has decided
to ban technology in the classroom.
” Ruth Holmes attended a lecture by former NY Times
writer Jack Lessenberry, who was the first reporter to ” Thanks to Elaine Charal for this item: In the wake of the
mention her in 1996. Pictured with Ruth and Lessenbery vicious murder of cartoonists at Charlie Hebdo, HuffPost
is Dr. Kevorian’s personal physician published photos of people in Paris holding up their pens.

Special supplement to the newsletter!

AHAF Education chair Linda Green has made avail-
able her review of the “quasi research” project she under-
took to determine Does Graphotherapy Work?
” Sheila Lowe visited several venues over the past three Click here to read the results.
months. Besides author events, she spoke at the AHAF
Tucson Chapter, Association of University Women,

10 The Vanguard April - June 2015


Jean Foss
Marcel Matley and Linda Larson re-
member.
It was after Jean Foss moved to San
Francisco that I had regular contact with
her. I would pick her up and we would
drive together to the monthly Nor Cal
meeting in Cupertino. We took the
Walrus’ advice: “The time has
come,” the Walrus said, to talk of many
things:
Of shoes—and ships—and seal-
ing-wax—Of cabbages—and kings—
And why the sea is boiling hot—And
whether pigs have wings.”
Unfortunately, there was no row
upon row of fatted oysters to entertain
us then nourish us. In compensation
there were those strange creatures
called graphologists to entertain us
when we got to our destination. Then
the ride back to San Francisco and
more conversation about more things
than the walrus could mention.
Topics of conversation roamed the
universe, but they never got to the de-
tails of our disparate lives, so about all I
knew was she came from Washington,
the one in the Northwest not the one
back East, and lastly she returned there.
She lived in a fine-looking building of
the Renaissance style, but the style of the
people running it was anything but Re-
naissance. Jean had trouble with visits to
her apartment when she was gone and
prescription drugs gone missing. This
sent her back to Washington. One day,
Linda Larson and I helped her disassem-
ble a rather large set of book shelves that
eventually found a home in another se-
nior citizen’s apartment. When she left,
Jean left a little chamber of my heart
empty, but the fullness of her kindness
and courtesy stays with me.
Truly, the body dies while the sweet-
ness of a lovely soul lives on in us. I will
miss her, as I have, but I would not like
to have missed her quality that makes
her missable. To have missed knowing
her would indeed have been a miss.
Marcel.
Not only did Jean participate at many
levels of AHAF, she was one of the few
people who was allowed to operate one
of the very first computer mouses. She
said, “It was so odd to know you could di-
rect a monitor with a hand held device, and
it was as big as the game players at the
time.” Jean told me she was hired by a guy
in Silicon Valley who thought computers
were the way of the future. She said, “well
then don’t you think you should get rid of
the typewriters? I think that is not support-
ing your position.”
The main thing I remember about Jean
is that she was not at all what I expected.
She dressed like a go-go dancer, but was
anything but frivolous. When Marcel and I
went to her apartment to take apart a large
bookcase we found it the most elegant of
places, with well-read books. She sur-
prised me so much, I am very sorry not to
have known her better. My time with her
was limited, but always, she was a special
lady, and a darn good handwriting analyst,
and she was right there from the beginning
of AHAF. Linda.

“If there was such a thing as an earth angel, she

Rose Matousek
Another Grand Dame of modern gra-
phology has left us. The comments of
some of the colleagues and friends who
heard the news tell the story.
“We lost a great lady.” Dave Grayson
“She was an outstanding person, full
of life and such wonderful part of gra-
phology.” Jane O’Brien
“I was struck by her joie de vivre: she
never met a stranger, she always had a
joke to share or a great story to tell! She
had so much energy, she was easily mistaken for someone 20
years younger!” Theresa Ortega
“Rose, besides being beloved, is certainly a “great lady of
graphology.”” Ann Kessler
would have fit that description.” Elaine Charal
“She was the best combination of elegance,
bawdiness and brains.” Linda Larson
“Rose was a handwriting angel to everyone!
From the beginning she exemplified one of our fa-
vorite statements: “If you are going to write the
story of your life, do not let anyone else hold your
pen.” She never did and she will be missed.” Ruth
Holmes
Some years ago AAHA gave a tribute to Rose
at a conference and I wrote a silly ditty that holds
some truth. The first line went like this: Rose,
Rose, everyone knows, the lady’s a lady right
down to her toes.” Sheila Lowe
Upon reading Rose’s obituary, a reporter at the Chicago
Sun-Times was moved to write an article about her that we
encourage you to read.

April - June 2015 The Vanguard 11

 AHAF-AAHA 2015Conference
The AHAF – AAHA 2015 Conference is completely online this year! No packing, no travel. We are as
convenient as your computer or smart phone. If you missed the March 7th segments, the videos are
available.

We offer you exceptional presentations by wonderful speakers. Sign up for the entire conference, or just
part of it. BONUS for full-day registrants: We are working on adding another featured segment or event.
Look for coming details. Also, we encourage viewing parties to share the experience with others!

All registered participants (and all Group registered participants) will receive the video and any handouts
available for that event.

For more information, or to register, see our information page directly at

http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=hzmzjhnab&oeidk=a07eaoxjf8we0f48615
or visit our website: http://www.ahafhandwriting.org/conferences
Register online, OR mail
*AHAF and AAHA Members-only discounts with these promo codes: checks and your contact
info, including email
Jul 11 & Oct 10 (Both days)both $30 OFF, use promo code: 2DAYSBOTH = $150.00
address, to:
1 Day (both speakers) $15 OFF, use promo code: 1DAYBOTH = $75.00
1 Session (AM or PM) $5 OFF, use promo code: 1SPEAKERONLY = $45.00 AHAF-AAHA Conference
1 Day “Group Rate” for 3+ participants is available (No code needed) = $150.00 P.O. Box 834
Windsor, CA 95492

The Conference is online. How convenient is that!

Saturday, July 11th

Mark Reddy will present "Handwriting & Human Nature: What I

can tell about you by the fact that you can write" in the morning
session.
New! Group Rates Now
Available Beverly East presents "The Good, the Bad, and the Usual
We've created a Group Rate for Suspects. Exploring the Criminal Mind from a Global Perspective:
“conference parties” at $150.00 What their Handwriting Reveals" in the afternoon session.
for the full day for 3 or more.
Saturday, October 10th
Groups registering by June 30th
will receive a “party-pack,” with
fun activities for your group Adam Brand will present: “Aspects of the Stroke”
(pot-luck recipes, handwriting
samples for discussion, Sarah Holmes Tucker will speak on: "A Neurological
graphology brainteasers, and Investigation into the Validity of Handwriting Analysis."
more).
Videos
No promo code is needed to
register for the group rate.
Videos of Roger Rubin and Pat Siegel’s March 7 Conference
Presentations are still available!

For assistance with setting

up or using Zoom for the
video conference, please New! Bonus Presentations: We are working on an extra feature, but as it’s still in
contact Val Weil at the works, we can't divulge details just yet. The bonus speaker event will be
valweil@comcast.net available for all Full-Day registrants! What an incentive to come and spend the
day with us!
The Vanguard
News for the Successful Handwriting Professional & Serious Student
A division of Sheila Lowe & Associates & the official publication of AHAF
170 Dahlia Way, Ventura CA 93004; www.sheilalowe.com

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