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The Forgotten Art of Typewriting
My experience writing letters and notes on an antique machine
I have possessed a typewriter for a year. In this time I have learned how to properly set the carriage, adjust the ribbon, and type with accuracy.
The friend who loaned this machine to me gave me simple instructions: write. He viewed this particular typewriter in a spiritual sense and told me he did not feel connected to it, that the stories it contained were not his to tell.
I don’t share his animistic perspective but this typewriter has helped me grow as a writer and also as a person. I would like to reflect with you on the three types of writing I have practiced with this typewriter and how each has impacted my life.
Transcribing quotations
From the most recognizable names in philosophy to the ancient wisdom of the stoics and all sorts of people in-between, transcribing thoughtful and profound quotes has been an excellent source of typing practice. I’ve found blank index cards to be useful in this endeavor and the quotes make excellent bookmarks.
Lately I’ve taken to compiling a collection of quotes at once and distributing them as freebies to friends and neighbors while I go about my day. Each is lovingly tagged with my primary internet…
