Although I was not actively searching for new standards, I couldn’t resist buying two over the last few days. (I’ll save the unveiling for later. They are in the mail.) But I’ve promised myself to keep my typewriter ecosystem balanced, which means that I have to part with machines. One of my regular customers is…

I suppose it happens to most of us when we first start collecting typewriters. A glossy machine, with pristine decals, casts its spell upon us. Speaking for myself, I lacked the skills to decipher what was under the hood of this typewriter. I bought this 1933 L.C. Smith at an antique mall. The machine typed….

All four of these machines are heavy-duty portables meant for serious typing. Ultimately, if I were to recommend a machine to someone, and if size were not an issue, I would say go with a standard over a portable. That said, these portables are as close as one can get to the feel of a…

After much effort, this Hermes 3000 has been made whole again, thanks to help from the Typosphere. As per usual, I ended up with some cuts and bruises along the way. I wonder how many of our typewriters carry our DNA within their mechanical parts. Is this part of the ritual? We bleed and they…

I’m in the process of grading the first stack of papers from a composition class. Recently the news cycle has covered the issue of cheating in college. Such stories generally focus on a specific form of plagiarism: fully copied papers that exemplify the worst of intentions. In reality, there are many kinds of plagiarism, and…

The article referenced here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/07/us/college-cheating-papers.html

It eventually happens to all of us. The shame of it all. The endless frustrations. You didn’t see it coming, but that day has arrived. You woke up one morning, poured some coffee, and dragged a comb across your head. Something was off. The sun was shining. The birds were . . . well, you…