19 June 2012

[art] The Resurgence of Miss Ankle-Strap Typewriter

2842.They say that typewriters are dead and/or dying?

Maybe. But maybe not.

There is a particularly vital existence for the typewriter in this post-typewriter media world however. Similar to the retro/funky/cool/connoisseurs vibe that the vinyl LP record is enjoying these days, the typewriter simply refuses to die. And people keep coming back to rediscover a classic:
 Banuelos, who started working at the store 44 years ago, when he was in high school, isn’t surprised by the recent bump in interest. Typewriters are beautiful objects, he said. People want to buy them.
“We have customers all the time,” he said. “[It’s] somebody’s birthday, somebody’s anniversary, or somebody in love with a young boyfriend.” To want a typewriter, you have to be a bit of a romantic, he added, “and besides, they’re cool.” They can also be a relief from computers and the distractions of the Internet. “They want a machine that has to be old, unique and nice,” Banuelos said. “Why? Because of this. The click, click, click. They want that.”
Not only are people who value and feel romantic about the past using them, certain Great American Writers still swear by them.

The whole story is at Salon, here: http://www.salon.com/2012/06/19/a_typewriter_renaissance/singleton/

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