Be the Machine

You'll enjoy the two blog posts I am referencing:
Joe Van Cleave's "Word Whittling" (Sorry for the misspelling of your name in my typecast!)
Richard Polt's "These Machines Saved Me"

Is a Typewriter the Best Tool?

Picking Your Battles

I've been absent from my blog for a bit what with an elementary school to run and courses to teach, but I have not forgotten my typewriters.  I have been repairing a few of the machines I have in the wings.  Inspired by Mary at Myoldtypewriter and her post about the Shape of Stories and Typewriter Repair, I dug into my 1940 Corona Sterling.  The Sterling is a beautiful machine, much like Mary's "Posh Spice" Corona.  I think my Corona was hardly ever used based on its pristine platen and clean type slugs.  But this machine brought a big challenge- rusty linkages.  As you can see from the picture, the linkages for the 7, J, and N keys were rusted solid.  Even the typebar return springs for these keys had rusted into dust.  I had been working on my Corona off and on with some success.  I used PB Blaster and, of all things, nail files, to get into the linkages.  I had success with the J key and got it entirely free.  I thought was getting the same success with the N key until I realized it was moving again because the severely rusted linkage had broken.  Now my heart is broken!  I am not giving up on this classy Sterling, but I had to put it aside.  I just do not have the time to solve this linkage problem right now (repair suggestions are welcome!).  So it is on to another machine, a 1950's Remington Quiet Riter.  This machine can give me a more reasonable challenge.  It is missing its ribbon spools, so I ordered a specific Remington replacement set.  It's linkages are in tact, just really dirty - no problem.  And, this is the second Remington I have had with ghostly white keys.  I wonder what causes this mildew on these green plastic keys. Some typospherians speak disparagingly of these later Remingtons calling them ugly.  Others have likened their smooth typing action to the famed Hermes 3000 - hey, they are both curvey machines.  This is my first 1950's Remington portable but if it types like the desktop Remington Standards I have had, I will be very pleased.  I'm going to take the "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" approach to my new machine.  I think Richard's new book adds something to the old machine's look!

Interview with author Richard Polt

This is my second and successful attempt to stream and archive an interview with author and typewriter enthusiast and overall excellent contributor to the typoshpere - Richard Polt.  My apologies to those of you who tried to watch the live event.  I typed and typed and typed on my Olympia but Richard couldn't hear me.....actually, I had too many tabs open on my laptop.  Darned technology!

Richard Polt Live-Web Interview at the Type-In

Richard Polt

Responding to a comment on this blog, I asked Richard Polt if we would live-stream his presentation at the September 27th Type-In and he agreed.  The interview will be live streamed on YouTube and will be preserved on this site.  Thanks Richard for agreeing to this!  For those of you who do not know Richard Polt's work, you can check out his recent interview on the Antiques and the Arts Weekly web site.  You should also check out one of Richard's typewriter blogs.  With this interview, the Type-In will be a blast.  If you can make the trip to Burlington, Vermont on September 27th you should!  You can bring a typewriter or use one of the many that will be at the type-in.  I have been receiving many gift typewriters lately and I have a 1970's Smith-Corona in mind as a door prize.  Make your travel plans and hotel reservations now as this is also the height of fall foliage, a beautiful time to visit Vermont.