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Let us take a break, now, from our daily diet of sarcasm and filth for a heartwarming tale: Nicholas Maxim, a boy born with arms that end at the elbow, won educational publisher Zaner-Bloser's annual National Handwriting Contest this year. A fifth grader at Readfield Elementary School in Readfield, Maine, he beat out 200,000 other grade schoolers for the quality of penmanship he produces by pinching a writing utensil between his arms.

Zaner-Bloser was so inspired, the company created a new award category, the Nicholas Maxim Special Award for Excellent Penmanship.

And that is the story of how the lost art of penmanship found its new, unlikely champion. [CNN]