Everything Old is New Again by Ang Pompano

 LUCY BURDETTE: today we welcome back good friend Ang Pompano, who has a re-release of an excellent book, and as always, some comments on changes in the world…

ANG POMPANO: Thanks so much for inviting me back, Lucy. I always enjoy visiting with my Jungle Red friends.

Some of you may know the Peter Allen song “Everything Old Is New Again.” It’s not a new idea, Jonathan Swift was saying the same thing centuries ago. But it’s been on my mind lately, especially when I think about education.

I taught for thirty-five years. That’s long enough to watch trends sweep in with the next great idea, disappear when another idea comes around, and then, inevitably, return. Early in my schooling, I remember my second-grade teacher teaching us phonics from a book she kept hidden in an open drawer, ready to slide shut if the principal walked in. Phonics was out; whole language was in.

Fast-forward to my own classroom years later, and we were proudly teaching cursive writing with impunity. I don’t even remember whether I was taught the Palmer Method or not, but I do remember loving the feel of the pen in my hand and the way ink flowed as letters connected with loops and swirls. There was something satisfying about it. And I saw that same pride on my students’ faces when their handwriting finally “clicked.”

Then, toward the end of my career, the powers that be decided cursive was no longer necessary. Keyboards would take its place. Once again, veteran teachers found themselves doing what my second-grade teacher had done years earlier, quietly teaching cursive while keeping one eye on the door.

And now? Everything old is new again. Some states have begun reinstating cursive instruction, recognizing that penmanship teaches more than how to write pretty letters. It builds fine motor skills, strengthens hand–eye coordination, reinforces spelling and reading, improves memory and focus, and encourages patience and persistence. Skills that matter well beyond the page.

Speaking of things coming around again, I’m happy to share that my book Diet of Death has been rereleased, ahead of its follow-up, Simmering Secrets, which will be out next year. Proof that even in mystery writing, everything old is new again. Readers, what do you think? Should penmanship be taught again?

Ang Pompano is a mystery author, editor, and unapologetic food enthusiast. He is the creator of the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency and the Reluctant Food Columnist series, where he blends twisty crime with sharp wit and a well-stocked pantry. His latest novel, Diet of Death, was released in January 2026. Ang is a co-founder of Crime Spell Books and co-editor of the Best New England Crime Stories anthology. He shares his twin passions for prose and provisions at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. He and his wife Annette, who is an artist, live in Connecticut with their two rescue dogs.