Our public library here in Claremont
Photo of the Unabomber's Montgomery Ward typewriter
Ruben Flores in his shop, U.S. Office Machines
I ventured out to Riverside under the sweltering summer sun, the air thick with the heat of the dog days, to meet the Typewriter Muse himself, Bob Marshall. Bob is the sole typewriter repairman in Southern California, and his expertise is unparalleled. Running an analog business in a digital age demands a deep understanding of his clientele and their unique needs, which Bob handles with ease. He’s a friendly guy I connected with through his Instagram account. You can also catch Bob with Joe Van Cleave in a delightful video that highlights the exceptional rapport between these two typewriter maestros.
The typewriter I handed to Bob for repair is a Royal Safari with a rare and exquisite script font, elite 12-pitch. This font is a true gem, scarcely seen these days. The machine was an eBay find, so I was a little worried about shipping. And of course it arrived in dire condition—an unfortunate victim of poor handling. While it reportedly worked perfectly for the seller, by the time it reached me, it was DOA with a battered and bent carriage. Bob assessed the damage and confirmed it would require some effort, but he assured me he could restore it to working order. I eagerly anticipate the day this machine is back in action, ready to type again.
Paul Auster, a celebrated American author known for his love of typewriters, has died at 77. He gained fame for his “New York Trilogy” and was a notable figure in postmodernist fiction.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1947, Auster’s writing career began at the age of eight when he missed out on getting an autograph from his baseball hero, Willie Mays — who was outside the players’ locker room after a game — to not having a pencil. From then on, he always carried a pencil with him, and his writing journey began. After graduating from Columbia University in 1970, he moved to Paris, where he began translating French literature and publishing his own work in American journals.
Auster’s big break came in the mid-1980s with the publication of “”City of Glass,” the first novel in his “New York Trilogy.” This trilogy cemented his reputation as a master of postmodernism, as he blended detective fiction with existential questions about identity, space, language, and literature. The trilogy brought him worldwide acclaim and established him as one of the signature New York writers of his generation.
A major theme in Auster’s work was the role of chance and coincidence. This fascination can be traced back to a life-changing event he witnessed at the age of 14 while hiking during a summer camp. He saw a boy standing just inches away get struck by lightning and die instantly. This experience profoundly impacted Auster, and it became a recurring motif in his fiction.
While Auster was born in New Jersey, he became synonymous with Brooklyn, where he settled in 1980. He was seen as a guardian of the borough’s rich literary past and an inspiration to a new generation of novelists who flocked there. His works often used New York as a backdrop, with Brooklyn featuring prominently and his characters grappling with life’s randomness and chance occurrences.
Auster’s body of work includes over 30 books, ranging from novels to memoirs, poetry, and screenplays. His notable works include “Moon Palace,” “The Music of Chance,” “The Book of Illusions,” “Leviathan,” “4 3 2 1,” and, of course, the “New York Trilogy.” His writing imposed a sense of irreality, inviting readers into a world where the lines between reality and fiction blurred.
Paul Auster’s passing is a reminder of the profound impact writers can have on our lives. His words will continue to resonate with readers for generations to come, and his influence on contemporary literature will forever be felt. As he once said, “If there’s a pencil in your pocket, there’s a good chance that one day you’ll feel tempted to start using it.”
My flagship typewriter: a Woodstock No. 5 from 1916. This WWI-era machine still works perfectly over a hundred years later. Amazing!
A photo of this typewriter was published in a book called SHIFT HAPPENS, which can be ordered through this website — https://shifthappens.site
The above photo is what will appear in the book.
My flagship typewriter: a Woodstock No. 5 from 1916. This WWI-era machine still works perfectly over a hundred years later. Amazing!
As I sauntered into the musty thrift store, I didn’t expect to lay eyes on something so magnificent – a typewriter. Not just any typewriter, mind you, but a bona fide Royal De Luxe portable. The kind that’s beloved by typewriter connoisseurs worldwide. I had to have it.
The price tag was a little steep, a cool $58, but my heart was set on it. After all, when you stumble upon a gem like this, you don’t let a few dollars stand in the way of true love. So I snatched it up and held it close to my chest, feeling the weight of history in my hands.
It turns out, there’s a deadly flaw in the escapement – it skips, threatening to render this beauty useless.
My heart sank as I realized that this prized possession may only serve as mere decoration. And to add insult to injury, the shift key was proving to be a tough nut to crack. I should’ve scrutinized this more closely when I was perusing the thrift store, but alas, my excitement got the best of me.
I may have to face the hard truth that this Royal Deluxe will only ever grace my shelf, never to be used for its true purpose. But, as they say, such is life. And who knows, maybe there’s a typewriter repair wizard out there who can work their magic and bring this machine back to life.
Here’s the printed proof of my sci-if novel, THE AREAN WALL, along with a favorite writing machine. The book will publish toward the end of the month. It’s not listed yet, but stay tuned.
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