I’ve managed to diversify my collection lately. Two machines are still in the mail, but today this Torpedo 30 arrived. It was manufactured in 1958, the first year of production for this model. Overall, it seems to be in good condition. It needs some cleaning. The slugs are sluggish, but the carriage slides smoothly. The…

*Correction: Louis C.K. has not denied the accusations against him.

Rule#1 for grading papers: Try to make it fun. I have four stacks of papers to grade this weekend. I’ll be lucky if I get through three. In order to be more productive, I need to create an agreeable environment for work. I often work with different typewriters, but, if I need real speed, I…

Defining horror is difficult to do. Defining the horror genre is likewise difficult. Regarding the latter, some viewers prefer gore, slasher films, and camp. Others solidly follow their favorite monster: vampire, zombie, and so on. Thrillers and science fiction films often elide with horror. I tend to think of horror as a psychological effect, and…

I’m typing out some notes for my Intro to Humanities course today. I decided to use my 1929 Remington Portable 3, which was my first prewar typewriter. I picked up the machine in Bandera, Texas some years ago. I put a little work into it yesterday. I gave it a new ribbon, and I nearly…

Like all typewriter collectors, I’m always on the hunt for a rare typewriter at a good price. I frequently look up Torpedo, Triumph, Erika, Halda, and Continental typewriters, but rarely find them at attractive prices. Tonight I had some luck birding. I discovered a 15A Blue Bird typewriter being sold for a decent price from…

My Olympia Socialite has become my go-to portable. I bought it some weeks ago for a great price and it made its way from California to Florida through hurricane and flood-ridden America. It took a few extra days to arrive. When it arrived, I found that the packaging was in horrible shape, mostly due to…