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Screws get loose

L.T. HanlonLeave a comment
Image is a photo of a page of typewritten text that reads: CLOSE ENOUGH FOR WRITERS. Although I love the feel, smell, and sound of typewriters, I’m also mindful of the reasons why so many people see these machines as charming but. There's a reason why these things are so finicky: They're built from hundreds of parts and need to operate in a complex ballet. Too often, that ballet degenerates into interpretive dance that's interpreting lord knows what. This is the reason why prior to the Coming of the Computer, there were so many typewriter shops. Even small towns had a couple. Joe Van Cleave has addressed this several times. Gears lose teeth, parts wear out, screws get loose. That's just part of the deal. The need for repair and upkeep for type— writers was so great that a member of my extended family worked as a typewriter repairman in the Rocky Mountain West. He'd travel from town to town by train, often bn narrow gauge —— and call on businesses and individuals with typewriters. Probably quite the high—tech guy for his time. But despite all that attention by mechanical technicians, typewriters forever retained their own characteristics. No kidnapper worth his salt would ever consider typing a ransom note. I’ve often wondered whether U.S. police departments got writing samples from typewriters kept for public use in libraries. I’ll bet they did! Olympia SM7 -- Chicago, Illinois

Typewriter aficionado, photographer, writer, and philosopher Joe Van Cleave covers this topic in much greater detail — and far better than I have here — in “Is Good Enough Good Enough?” If you’re interested in anything creative, Joe can steer you true.

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