Another great discussion here. Ken your writing is stunning. Thank you for sharing it. And Andy, I'm looking forward to those "p's with swagger," too. That made me laugh out loud. Really! I have 'issues with "p" that comes from nuns. The first grade one taught to take to take the lead in stroke TO the waist?line, then the one in second grade insisted it go above. This was in the days when penmanship was taught in school and we were graded on it.
I haven't begun to look at Spencerian yet because I think I'd get confused trying to learn both Copperplate and that at the same time, but I think the flow will come very naturally, while the pointy, languid leaning of the letters may not. And I didn't even know about Spencerian until my journey with Copperplate had begun.
Please tell me if I've got it right that Spencerian looks much more like 'handwriting,' or that thing we do for correspondence, papers, or note taking. I guess it seems more intimate and personal. Copperplate on the other hand, looks to me more like the stuff of, sometimes but not always, formal presentation--something showy, grand or even pompous. Was Copperplate per se ever used for correspondence? Did the old masters write in both hands and if so, when did they choose to use them?