Strikethru: Typecast: the challenge

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Typecast: the challenge

9 comments:

Anonymous said...: I've tried this a few times at a local coffee shop where I feel comfortable; at times I have felt something like enacting a performance art piece, but then I get lost in the writing & don't notice how many looks I might get. The proprietor of the place told me that she had heard about my appearance on occasional Saturday mornings & thought it was cool; there was even the discussion of bringing several typewriters into the place for a typing day to attract some public attention to both typewriters & the coffee shop. (Last week I took some portable machines to one of the meetings my girlfriend conducts at a library for a writing group of 4th-6th grade kids, and even though only one kid had ever actually seen a typewriter before they all got a kick out of trying them out.)

I also took a portable Facit into a smokey bar on a weeknight a few years ago, just down the block from my place, and nobody seemed to mind the clatter. One patron announced that he could tell I typed at about 35 words per minute, based on the sound of my typing, which was a correct observation; he later claimed he could tell what I was actually writing from the sound of my typing, but he had a few drinks in him by that point.

Most of the time I type in public is done outside, on the porch or patio of a coffee shop or bar, or in a public park, so I don't disturb patrons who might prefer the peace & easy atmosphere of the typical coffee shop. But once a guy raking leaves complained about the noise & went to put on ear phones. I still think the sound of my typing is quieter than a person talking loudly on a cell phone.

So, typing in public will attract attention, no doubt, and most of it will likely be positive responses or questions. (One kid in the writing group last week asked where the batteries were installed!)

-Bostian; February 29, 2008 at 9:52 AM
Duffy Moon said...: I'm not sure I'm up to trying this. I'm so introverted I'm nearly inside out. I cannot work on typing if I feel I am being looked at, and I just KNOW I'd be looked at.

Is there a support group for people who want to be able to take their typewriters out into public, out of the closet, and not be afraid of harassment?; February 29, 2008 at 11:08 AM
monda said...: Done. I have to say, though, that typing in public seems to be more about the noise than about the visual act of using a typewriter, at least to others. Interesting.

I remember the sound of a typewriter being the background music of our everyday. It was simply THERE.

Aside from that, it was a perfect experience typing out in the world, and I wrote some keeper material.

I also posted my very first (and very second) typecast. Once I managed the scanner, it was actually faster than writing on the computer. And more satisying.; March 2, 2008 at 8:20 AM
Strikethru said...: I hear what you guys are saying (haw!) about the noise factor... I hadn't really thought about that specifically. I keep waiting for a nice-enough day to type outdoors at a cafe, but being that I am in the Northwest and this is March, probably not going to happen real soon. It is funny as you mentioned Monda how typewriting used to just be part of the noises we hear everyday. Imagine how disruptive cell phone rings and conversations would have seemed in 1960 (well, they are still annoying in 2008, so probably pretty annoying).

Thanks for posting about your public typecasting experiences, it's fun to hear about it. Duffy, I kind of am with you but since I threw down the challenge, I have to live up to it soon! :); March 2, 2008 at 8:46 AM
AArtVark said...: OK - I'd thought about this and you've just done pushed me over the edge! I'm within walking distance of LACMA and that's where I've thought of sitting on a bench with the Baby Hermes and working on some things - normally I sit there reading or scribbling on a notepad. I'll see if I can document any reactions. If I'm feeling especially apt for exercise, I'll take the Royal portable which is some pounds heavier and more photogenic.

Anyone that's in reach of LACMA (Farifax & Wilshire)? Maybe we can stage a type-in...; March 4, 2008 at 4:51 PM
Anonymous said...: You can try using a noiseless typewriter if you want to be a bit more discreet. (Not really noiseless, but at least quieter!)

I've typed in coffee shops and usually get a good amount of attention, especially from kids.; March 14, 2008 at 7:12 PM
Duffy Moon said...: Okay, well, in a stunning reversal I actually typed on a typewriter inside a Starbucks. It was sort of an accidental type-in: I was meeting a fellow typewriter-lover there who was adopting my poor, neglected Royal Futura (pink/rose and gray). She brought a Classic 12 which I wanted to try out because my own Classic 12 has been gimpy. She also brought this tiny little Empire (which, OMG!). I tried both of them. In public. There was a little attention directed our way (one teenager-ish girl described the Royal as "cool" which got an eye-roll from her hipster beau), but I escaped without any lethal fits of self-conscious tachycardia.

I think it helps to have a partner-in-crime.; March 17, 2008 at 5:28 AM
Strikethru said...: Good tip, Duffy. I have thus far been too chicken to try this in public, due to introversion issues, but if I brought a typewriter enabler along, it might be easier. Right now I am at a techwriting industry conference and happen to have a newly-purchased Hermes Baby... I'm thinking about setting up a retro tech exhibition booth to see how much attention I'd get. Kidding.; March 18, 2008 at 4:36 PM
Duffy Moon said...: I think that what it is is that having a partner brings the Weirdness Quotient back to baseline.

Sitting all alone, typing on a manual typewriter in the 21st Century causes a spike in your perceived Weirdness Quotient. Having a friend with you completely negates that, because you can't be all THAT weird if you've got a friend, one who also is typing, and who doesn't seem to be, like, a state-appointed social worker.; March 19, 2008 at 5:00 AM

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)