The Hidden World of the Typewriter

When I was interning at a radio station in the late 80s, the power went out. A generator kept the station on the air, but with no computers or phones, we had no news to report. As it happened, I had brought a copy of the university paper with me. The news director pointed me to a manual typewriter. Fortunately, I had taken a typing class in high school, so I banged out a few (properly cited) stories for them to read.

There was a time that nearly every home and office had at least one typewriter, ready to tap out letters or lists, invoices or inspirations. Today, of course, the machines have gone the way of vinyl records, romanticized analog nostalgia, a sometimes-useful kitschy artifact with which to wax nostalgic. But, also like vinyl records, typewriters have their enthusiasts, cult followers and collectors drawn to their character and to the mystery of all the ideas and dreams that have been poured, or, rather, pounded, into them. —James Joiner – The Atlantic.