Fresh Ribbon

Avant Garde Typewriter Music

2009-11-08T09:34:00.004-06:00

Clearly DaDa never died. The typist/musician is obviously working on his NaNoWriMo novel.

Meet Percy, the First Rooster in the Hen House

2009-11-04T22:52:00.001-06:00

Percy came to me in a dream, almost. I'd been hunting one of these with a vengeance for some time and with no luck whatsoever. Then - just as it happens with true love - I stopped looking and this Royal KHM showed up at my office door with a fist full of road-picked flowers and a shy grin.

It seems he's not from around here. Probably hopped a train from Chicago - I found the barest remnant of it stamped on the shreds of his vinyl cover. You know, I live in a train town and it's not least bit unusual to find a wayward traveler here and there. I've taken him in, promised hot water and hot meals in return for a little office work.

Oh, he's filthy. I knocked out dirt-dobber nests and a couple of spider skeletons. Despite that, I was able to dust him off, put in a new ribbon, and begin typing as if not a day had passed since 1936. A steady, even Elite. This will be my new office typewriter - after a good going over.

Ed, I'm sorry you couldn't get your hands on this one. You would've loved it.

In Memoriam

2009-11-03T21:03:00.004-06:00

I just found out. Ed Cordon, my friend and typewriter repairman at Acme Business Machines is gone. Those interested may want to leave a message here. I'll send a long letter to his wife, typed on one of the many typewriters Ed lovingly resurrected for me.

It isn't enough, though. School began and I was busy. I never called and now I can't.

Ed was a gentleman and a good man, and is missed.

All the Pretty Auctions

2009-10-15T07:04:00.006-05:00

Anyone want to spot me a loan? Cormac McCarthy's typewriter is on the auction block. A friend bought him a "new" Olivetti 32 this past summer for $9 on Ebay.

Miller said that McCarthy does not own a computer, a fact verified by others. In fact, Miller told the story that once while at the Sante Fe Institute, he kidded the author about not using a computer.
"About an hour later, lightning knocked out power at the institute," Miller said.

As scientists wandered the corridors, Miller said all they could hear were the click, click, clicking of McCarthy's typewriter, the only machine working in the building.

Which one of us bid against him, I wonder?

National Novel Writing Month: Plotting in the Dark

2009-10-10T21:10:00.003-05:00

I've made the commitment, and sworn to do my duty as a NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison. No going back now - I'm writing a novel in "thirty days and nights of literary abandon." Why am I doing this to myself? Because last year I wrote over 50,000 words in thirty days and it made me happy.

It was the finest writing experience of my life.
I found out just how far I could push myself despite grading and conference-hopping and other general must-do business.
The mad month redefined me as a writer and forced this poet to sling out a story that held together.
At the end of the month, I had a novel in hand and the giddiness of it floated me until, well, just now.

I'm exactly where I was last October - no plot, no plan. Just a character I've been carrying around with me for a while. My strategy is simple: Start writing and let the character tell you the story.

I do tend, as I slam the thing out, to have an idea for a direction or scene. In order to keep those handy, I create a file, name it, then close it and get back to writing. When I open up the Novel Folder each day, the scenes are listed right there. I simply click on one of them and begin. At the end of the month, I piece the puzzle back together and it's ready for rewrite.

That's it. No note cards or agonizing character outlines. No plotting maze. I let the characters be and they go where they wish, committing all manner of lovely and unlovely acts. The critters walk around with me and whisper in my ear all day. By the morning write, there's story.

I can't wait to see this year's novel roll out from under my fingers. I'm not sure I have the muscular fortitude of the Typewriter Brigade, a stealthy group of miscreants who manage to produce their NaNoWriMo Novels purely on typewriters. I'm going to slam out part of it on the old manual machines, though, as long as my fingers hold out. We'll see how that little experiment works.

If you feel you can join us, do. If you can't, grab some pom-poms and start cheering on November 1st.

Silent Type: A Retrotech Journal

2009-10-04T08:49:00.004-05:00

If you listen very closely you can hear a collective oooh-aaah in the typosphere. Strikethru Publishing's first volume of Silent Type: A Retrotech Journal made its way to the mailboxes this week and I'm beside myself with typewriter love. Forty-three pages of full-color photography and divine collage in addition to fiction, poetry, and essays - in full typewritten glory.

It's a strong read and a stunning tribute to the retrotech in all of us. Strikethru, take a bow.

No, take two.

Volume I ran out as quickly as it was printed, although there's talk of a second printing and a nudge here and there toward Volume II. If you can't live another minute without having a copy in your hands, let Strikethru know. Tell her Monda sent you.

Writing Center BAROP Project Update

2009-10-01T16:10:00.001-05:00

Today we've got a little student noir on the Writing Center BAROP. You never know what you'll find, or what I'll post because...

Monda's got a new phone that takes great photos and cool video just like (snap) that. The perfect mix of tech and no-tech. It's a beautiful thing.

The Quest Begins

2009-09-25T23:24:00.006-05:00

You know Margaret Mitchell. Gone With the Wind is a classic both in print and in film and she had her fingers on the typewriter keys for both. This post is not a tribute to this Southern scribbler, there are tributes aplenty across the internet and mine wouldn't do her justice. Fine Literature? Not really, but she wrote an irresistible story.

I accidentally found this picture of her at Born Today as I cruised the net for something else. I find a lot of fine things that way, but this one stopped me cold. Bless her heart, Margaret's not much to look at in this photo. It's the brooch she's wearing that nearly killed me outright.

There's no mistaking it. That's a typewriter ribbon done in pearls.

I. Must. Have. It.

All I Want for Christmas

2009-09-24T21:44:00.000-05:00

Historical Typecast: Sweetheartin'

2009-09-20T21:21:00.000-05:00

Meet Melinda Parker. Sometime between 1936 and 1940, armies of writers and photographers with the Federal Writers' Project and the Folklore Project were sent all over the U.S. to collect personal histories. Some are strictly informational while others, like this one, contain recorded narrative. Sometimes the interviewers are identified, but not this one. Melinda Parker's voice is the only one we hear.

From American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940, housed in the Library of Congress. The collection is vast, containing

"2,900 documents representing the work of over 300 writers from 24 states. Typically 2,000-15,000 words in length, the documents consist of drafts and revisions, varying in form from narrative to dialogue to report to case history. The histories describe the informant's family education, income, occupation, political views, religion and mores, medical needs, diet and miscellaneous observations. Pseudonyms are often substituted for individuals and places named in the narrative texts."

Not all of the documents are online. Not all of the states are represented, including Arkansas. I have managed to find a small collection of WPA/Federal Writers' Project documents house at the University of Arkansas as "WPA: Early Settlers' Personal Histories of African Americans in Arkansas." Sadly, most of these are thin on narrative and heavy on "report."

I'm just thankful Mrs. Parker's voice was recorded in these anonymously typed pages.

This One Looks Good

2009-09-18T21:43:00.001-05:00

Just found an interview with Dennis Baron, author of A Better Pencil: Readers, Writers, and the Digital Revolution. Yes, the interview was in Inside Higher Ed, and yes, it has an academic edge. But just look at this portion of the interview:

I’ve always loved writing and its technologies. My earliest memories of writing include typing on an old Remington portable on the floor of the living room when I was 5 or 6. I can still see the ink-clogged e’s and o’s. I also remember my first fountain pen, a marbled-maroon Esterbrook that I got for my 8th birthday. I remember the smell of the ink when I filled the pen (no cartridge refills back then), tangy, metallic, kind of like blood. And my first ball point, a Paper Mate in two-tone green, the same colors as my parents’ 1955 Chevy (I later inherited that car, and while I always hated the colors on the car, on the pen they were magical).

You can read the rest of Serena Golden's interview with the author here.

Clearly, we need a book club. I hope a few more of you snag a copy of this soon, because this looks like it warrants discussion.

Write Your Weatherman and Demand Change

2009-09-14T22:43:00.000-05:00

Image: Federal German Archive via Wikimedia Commons

B.A.R.O.P. vs. University Writing Center

2009-09-09T22:16:00.001-05:00

The Old Remington Quiet-Riter has a new home and a special purpose. The Writing Center at the University of Central Arkansas now has corner dedicated to the Retrotech Arts, complete with a B.A.R.O.P. There's also a suitable vintage table and chair, courtesy of my good friend Jennifer, whose lot in life is to keep the Writing Center tutors knowledgeable and fresh.

I have it on good authority that the paper roll is full of daily poetry, cryptic messages, and mysterious intrigues. All this despite the fact that not one of the tutors is old enough to remember typing up footnoted term papers on the real clanking deal.

This is the first of many projects planned this year using the manual typewriter/B.A.R.O.P. combination, so stay tuned.

I've got a lot more typewriters, a whole box filled with Big-Ass Rolls of Paper, and students who aren't afraid to use them.

Digital Ephemera, because I've Got a Little Time on My Hands

2009-09-05T16:11:00.006-05:00

So I thought I'd slip in a little poem, just to try it out.

It's called Word Perhect (no, that's not a misspelling) and I dare you not to get on it right this minute. Just take a look at the screenshot below. Oh, yes.

Things I Didn't Win on Ebay This Weekend

2009-08-31T19:40:00.007-05:00

1920's Corona Special #3 Red Folding Portable Typewriter

Clearly, my luck has taken a sad turn. I can't seem to catch an Ebay break. So, instead of sharing with you the fabulous goodies I snagged for a song on Ebay, I'll let you peek at the Big Ones That Got Away.

First up, the glorious red Corona typewriter above. I was convinced no one but me saw this beauty languishing around the $10-$15 price range. I was wrong. The bidding took a frantic turn and left me with my pocketbook hanging open. Craving this typewriter brought me nothing but heartache and the understanding that no, I cannot run with the big dogs.

Park Avenue Cushion Typewriter Keys

What are these? I've never seen anything like them before, and can only assume they're little pillow-like attachables to make slamming the keyboard a little less, well, slammin'. I can't decide if these were a good idea, or a terrible mess. Did the typist have to dodge flying cushions when (not if) they detached mid-memo? And why "Park Avenue"? I'll never know. A badly-timed phone call yanked my attention away at precisely the wrong moment. Bye-bye, key cushions.

7 Vintage Stationery Boxes - Paper & Env - Eaton, Crane's

This perfect collection of vintage stationery began at around $10. Who else on the planet needs this worse than I do? No one, I tell you. Not one soul. I would have won these, too, if my computer hadn't chose the last half-minute of the auction to do its weekly virus update. Pop-ups stole my Ebay stationery, and I may never recover.

Hiawatha Typewriter & Manifold Paper

Unlike the stationery fiasco, I'm fairly certain the person(s) who drove up the price of this vintage paper are people I know. Scallywags, all of them. Just look at that box - couldn't you die? I'm dying a little every time I think about it.

Vintage Jotter "Best Wishes Pres/Mrs. Ferdinand Marcos

This bizarre piece of political history needs no explanation. You know why I wanted it. It would be fascinating, though to know who the four bidders were, because it's always comforting to know there are others out there functioning just a half-bubble off center. I have no idea why I missed this one. Just looked away for a second and it was gone.

I'm not bitter about losing these Ebay auctions. Well, not all of them. I'd like to find the old bidding mojo again, though, because all this losing is beginning to make me look bad. I fear for my Ebay street-cred, and with good reason.

When my typewriter friends post elegant Hiawatha-watermarked typecasts, don't worry. I'll put on a brave face.

Hephaestus Forges Love

2009-08-26T22:12:00.005-05:00

I figure ol' Hephaestus for a typewriter man. In another time, he might have made a fine repairman of all things bent and broken, an artist in iron and steel. Why, there's no telling what kind of machines we'd be knocking on.

Maybe he needed a little anger management training. Maybe he wouldn't have been quite prepared for the women's movement. I'll bet he could fix fix a few of my typewriters, though. There's that.

And Aphrodite? She could hold her own.

A Little Physics

2009-08-24T22:45:00.000-05:00

A found poem, typed on a pink Royal Futura 800 of delicate sensibilities.

Robotic First Days of School, and a Gift

2009-08-23T21:40:00.012-05:00

Everyday Correspondence

On a side note, I've spent a good portion of the weekend with The Perfect Grandson, who suffers from a cold that is only made better by watching Wall-E over and over again. If you've never seen it, go rent this one immediately. Saving the planet through robot love. Delightful.

(This typecast is brought to you on Sister Agnes of the Curlicue Script, a 1958 Tower President.)

Thank You, Blogger...

2009-08-21T18:12:00.002-05:00

. . . For proving that lightning does indeed strike twice. Wow. I'm truly speechless right now, and that's uncommon. I need a moment to collect myself.

Setting up a Tent at the Retro-Tech Revival

2009-08-15T13:58:00.005-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, I think we have a convert. Abby's a fresh college graduate and an extraordinary writer who edited our literary magazine last year. The pink GoLightly was a gift from me and a sterling example of Writertypes' fine mechanical voodoo.

I don't know another soul on the planet who would change out type bars to cursive and paint an old Sears Forecaster just the right shade of ballet slipper pink. What a man.

Abby says,

I swear, it was meant to be. I typed away until I was out of ideas, which is something that hasn't happened for me in a very long time. Something about the medium of a typewriter makes words feel so deliberate and special, without backspace, every sentence and thought is, am I meant to say that or maybe I needed to say that.

Shake the tambourines, brothers and sisters.

Calling All Typecasters!

2009-08-13T08:02:00.004-05:00

Found this in the mail this morning:

Hi,

as you are a typecaster... and as I like typecasts... why not contribute to the wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typecasting_%28blogging%29 ?
It would be a good thing as this article had been selected for deletion. I objected, but now it would need some brushing-up.

Please feel free to forward this to other "typecasters".

greetings,
Georg

--
************************************
Georg Sommeregger, PhD

Scheduled for deletion! We can't let that happen. Besides, it's time we took a moment to define ourselves and link up. At the very least, everyone who typecasts should be listed under "External Links."

Tick-tock, my friends.

Mystery Machine Reveal

2009-08-11T19:28:00.012-05:00

Just had this dropped off at the house. No time for a real camera or a dusting off, nothing but cobwebs and cellphone pictures, baby. I had to beat the rain.

For those playing Guess That Machine along with us at home, the serial number of this Royal beauty is B-75795mumble. The mumble part is either a 4 or a very small A. If I were a betting woman, I'd call it an A, although the size of the letter/number appears to be much smaller than the others and in a different strike-font. According to The Typewriter Serial Number Database, that means it's either a 1937 Aristocrat (maybe that's what the A is for) or a 1937 Royal Speed King. You tell me.

Here's the thing - the case is nearly perfect and the roller is brand new. Spongy, actually. The S-key stuck a little, but after typing a bit, it loosened up. Bouncy. And she types a delicate elite - hard to tell from my hasty scan. Since the typebars are also free of ink and the ribbon appears to be at the beginning, it's a good assumption that perhaps once upon a time this sweet Royal Whatever was sold or serviced and put in a closet forever. Or until last week. Nothing about this typewriter shows any use. Seriously, all I'm looking at here is a little dust and a few cobwebs. The more I type, by the way, the darker the ink gets.

If so, I certainly know who serviced and sold it. Russellville is about 45 minutes from here, a sleepy college town where the "Wonder Boys" learned agri-science at Arkansas Polytechnic (now Arkansas Tech).

Three years after this typewriter was manufactured, December 1940, one in four of their male students was called up for duty with the 206th Coast Artillery. Life Magazine even did a pictorial about their going-away party. Bless their hearts, those Arkansas Tech boys were sent to Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The story of the voyage alone is worth the read.

Now, I don't have anything whatsoever in or on this typewriter case that tells me some Ozark mountain boy had to leave it behind to serve in WWII. I do know that in those years and in that place higher education was an expensive rarity for most, and a new typewriter even more so. Few others living in Russellville, Arkansas would have need for a typewriter at all, let alone a portable.

The handful of girls who went to college at all would've gone down the road to Arkansas State Teachers' College (now UCA, where I hold forth), but only if they were terribly rich or quite plain. That's the way it was. This is not a woman's typewriter. While it would have been well cared-for, it would've been used.

If you listen very closely, you can hear me making up the story.

Memphis Road Trip Mystery Machine

2009-08-09T22:35:00.003-05:00

While you're thinking this one over (queue Jeopardy music) take a look at a little site I just ran across today. Mymymymy...Poetic Typewriters. The typewriters are expensive, but gorgeous. The layout on this site is to die for.

Pulled out ole Mamie the unflappable SC Silent for this typecast. Bless her heart. She still types like a dream, but not when a girl has elegantly long vacation nails. Those round keys do a number on a manicure.

It's Carnival Time, Y'all

2009-08-04T14:06:00.006-05:00

This blog carnival thing is fun. It's especially nice to know there are other notebook/paper/pen obsessives out there. Take a walk through Notebook Stories' list of scribblers in this month's Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper - better than a midway and no carnies. Our friend Strikethru is there, and she's also the Notebook Addict of the Week. There should be a tiara involved, but maybe that's just how we do it down South. I've got a post or two in there as well. Thanks, Notebook Stories!

There's another Carnival of Pen, Paper and Pencil next month hosted by The Pen Addict. Visit the submission guidelines and go write something. The next deadline is September 6th so there's plenty of time

So...where's the typecast carnival?

Paper-sack Story: Exhibit A

2009-07-27T22:21:00.004-05:00