Typewriters

Growing up, we used to visit my grandparents in a small Missouri town several times a year. My grandma had, and still used, an old Royal typewriter they kept in the den and that's where I learned to type; mainly by using my index fingers (hunt n peck) but still, I figured out my way around the keys on that thing.

Something about that device was magical. It stuck with me. And 30 years later, I started collecting, restoring, and using typewriters as part of my poetry and zine-making hobbies. And i wish i'd started sooner.

Alda Tippa S

While my special interests narrowed in on Stanley Kubrick, I noticed that he was on the set of The Shining with a portable typewriter that I just had to have. It was bright yellow, had great reviews, and was available on eBay. So I bought it.

Smith-Corona Skyriter

While coming back from a lunch with my Godparents, we stopped at an antique mall and I stumbled upon this beauty. It seemed to work, but had some issues I thought I could fix. After several months of cleaning and repair, I decided it needed professional help and dropped it at a local repairman to finish the work for me. It still doesn't work like new, but it's a favorite for sure.

Royal Quiet Deluxe Portable

This was grandma's typewriter. When my mom and aunt visited last summer, they brought it with them and gave it to me as a gift. They'd kept it around but in storage, and were happy to see it come back to life and get some use from a family member. I still feel a bit emotional typing on it, and haven't done a project using it just yet. I want it to be special. To mean something. To be worth it.

Remington Portable 3: Two-Toned Purple

My amazing partner got this beauty for me as a bday/versary/xmas gift. I still need to take it by the repairshop to get cleaned up but my anxiety about leaving the house has skyrocketed since COVID and plus they only accept payment via cash or check. Those barriers add up for me. But it's still pretty as hell to look at.

Updated: April 30, 2022