Saturday, January 28, 2006

My Olympia

Dear all,

The first item I moved into my new writing studio--after the desks and art I mentioned in the previous post--was a manual typewriter. Yes, it's true: I am the proud owner of The Olympia, and of course, when I am at Olympia, I am Hercules-ette.

My Olympia is a gift from my magical and beloved friend Theresa Williams-Author. When she first mentioned the gift of the typewriter to me, I said I loved the idea. I said with a typewriter each word seemed important, and I felt I could be Faulkner, or am somehow connected to the great writers of the past who couldn't turn out a lot of folderol just because they had a computer. The great Shelby Foote never used a computer. Each word is a conscious, loving effort. Like Faulkner, I'm gonna pencil in my plots on the walls.

Now I think I won't even put the computer in my studio. This idea gives me energy. Just me and the silence. Way cool. I walked into the space this morning and had goose bumps.

Maybe it's part of.... Richard Brautigan's

Karma Repair Kit: Items 1-4

1. Get enough food to eat, and eat it.


2. Find a place to sleep where it is quiet, and sleep there.


3. Reduce intellectual and emotional noise until you arrive at the silence of yourself, and listen to it.


4.


You get the idea ;-)

Now, I owe my first Olympia-born to Theresa. I'm working on it.

Beth

2 comments:

Theresa Williams said...

Beth, Faulkner, Brautigan, and an Olympia manual typewriter all in one post! I'm practically orgasmic! :-) I am so happy you like the Olympia. They are really fine machines and I have enjoyed mine so much. The manual typewriting experience really changes the way writing is made. This description of your room is deeply inspiring to me, and it makes me so happy to see you this way. When I think about our conversations of five or more years ago, of how we were struggling just to keep our heads above water, I have to say I'm very proud of where we are now in our creative lives. Keep going!

Christina K Brown said...

I read this last night but just then the Olympics came on and I had to dash off...

It made me very sad that I ever got rid of my Olympia manual typewriter that I learned to type on as a kid. If only I'd known. The keys stuck and then my mom got me a word processor back in the early 80s.

But, I just don't know if I could be as brave as you and write without a computer. It seems I don't know how to use a pen anymore.

Brava!