The Typewriter Revolution: A Typist's Companion for the 21st Century

by Richard Polt

The connoisseur's guide to the typewriter, entertaining and practical

What do thousands of kids, makers, poets, artists, steampunks, hipsters, activists, and musicians have in common? They love typewriters—the magical, mechanical contraptions that are enjoying a surprising second life in the 21st century, striking a blow for self-reliance, privacy, and coherence against dependency, surveillance, and disintegration. The Typewriter Revolution documents the movement and provides practical advice on how to choose a typewriter, how to care for it, and what to do with it—from National Novel Writing Month to letter-writing socials, from type-ins to typewritten blogs, from custom-painted typewriters to typewriter tattoos. It celebrates the unique quality of everything typewriter, fully-illustrated with vintage photographs, postcards, manuals, and more. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing, Reference, History, Technology

383 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

Richard F. H. Polt is a professor of philosophy at Xavier University. He holds a B.A. in philosophy from the University of California at Berkeley and a Ph.D. from the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago (1991). His main interests are the metaphysical and ethical problems of Greek and German philosophy. He has taught elective courses on a variety of topics, including Plato, Aristotle, Kant, German idealism, existentialism, slavery, time, and Heidegger.

Selected publications:

Heidegger: An Introduction. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1999.

A Companion to Heidegger's "Introduction to Metaphysics." Edited by Richard Polt and Gregory Fried. New Haven: Yale Unversity Press, 2001.

Heidegger's "Being and Time": Critical Essays. Edited by Richard Polt. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005.

The Emergency of Being: On Heidegger's "Contributions to Philosophy." Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2006.

Reviews

[Georgia Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typewriters bang. They're Hemingwayesque. They shoot the words into the air for all to hear. They give balls to some writers, brevity to others, and romanticize spice labels.

Goes nicely with Paul Auster's My Typewriter or on its own.

[Ron Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1983, I spent $800 on a new typewriter and $425 on an engagement ring. Anyone who understands the economics of that passion should get a copy of “The Typewriter Revolution,” by Richard Polt. Billed as “A Typist’s Companion for the 21st Century,” this delightfully illustrated book grew out of a Web site that Polt started in 1995 to connect with like-minded collectors of antique typewriters. Years later, he pecked out “The Typewriter Manifesto,” a proclamation of the typospherians’ determination to resist the enfeebling aspects of the Internet Age. It concludes . . . .

To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...

[Audra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a little of everything: the history of the typewriter; various models; the typewriter insurgency that is growing; various art forms of the typewriter; and how so many people are choosing the typewriter over computers in order to have a more authentic connection with themselves and the world around them.

I just purchased a Smith-Corona Clipper and am working on getting it refurbished. If you are into typewriters in any way, shape, or form, this book will delight your soul.

[Chad Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. So many of the nonfiction books I’ve read could easily have been articles; they have a solid thesis, but repeat that thesis over and over with slightly different examples and different phrases. Polt’s book is entirely different. It’s part technical typewriter repair manual, part history, part journalism, and part philosophical rumination. I didn’t feel the boredom of repetition, just the draw to find out more. It helps that I’ve really gotten into typewriters lately, but even if I hadn’t I would have found this one fascinating.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent look at typewriter history, pluses and minuses of various vintage typewriters you might be interested in, and the place of typewriters in today's world. At times, the revolution/insurgency metaphor was a bit wearying, but it ultimately didn't detract from how interesting and useful I found this book to be. Be warned, however, that this book might make you crave your own typewriter - I bought two during the two weeks I was reading it...

[William Bibliomane · Rating 4 out of 5]

An attractively-designed book (complete with two-color typewriter ribbon-esque bookmark bound into the spine), which is full of useful tips on the care and maintenance of a typewriter in the 21st century. Polt attempts to demonstrate that the typewriter is alive and well in the digital age, and does so mostly convincingly. What doesn't work for this reviewer (and typewriter user) are the photos of smug gits posed with their typewriters in various milieux, but there's enough good here to forgive that. Worth a look.

Full review here: https://bibliomaneblog.wordpress.com/...

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good start in learning about the history of typewriters, I think. I say that because I am sure this is only a fraction of the information out there. This book has a lot of cool facts and resources but, sometimes, I was rolling my eyes at the pretentious viewpoints of the author. I love typewriters and I felt the author articulated what makes them special but other times I was saying to myself “Good lord, it ain’t that deep.” Honestly, maybe it is a challenge to discuss typewriters and NOT sound pretentious so I don’t know. I think this is a good book for people like me who simply enjoy typewriters and are fascinated by the culture surrounding it.

[J.W. Donley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! The bookmark even looks like a typewriter ribbon. There is a lot of great info in here on how to care for your typewriter and the sorts of fun things you can do with it. If you are obsessed with typewriters, you are not alone. Get this book now!

[Rouchswalwe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few months ago, the Olivetti Underwood Lettera 32 my grandfather presented to me about 40 years ago developed carriage trouble. Soon, I was unable to continue typing letters to friends and relatives. Because of the lockdown, I couldn't go to antique shops in the area to look for a parts typewriter. I ordered this book and now I am ready to begin the necessary research so that I can repair by beloved Lettera 32. In addition, I have learned so much about the "Typewriter Revolution" and the news about those of us who continue to write with manual typewriters in the early 21st century! A very helpful and enjoyable book!

[Elvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for a newbie typewriter fanatic like me. I borrowed this book from the library but may need a copy for my personal collection, especially to refer back to chapters on maintenance and repairs.

[Morton Grove Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Chad Comello, Adult Services Librarian

I discovered, located at my local library, checked out, and read this book within about two days. And wouldn’t you know it, now all I want to do is use my typewriter.

The Typewriter Revolution is at once a reference manual, art gallery, travelogue, manifesto, and paean to the not-dead-yet world of typewriters and their passionate proponents. Polt writes about typewriters being used today in classrooms to better teach kids composition, by street poets dashing off instant stories for passersby, even by government agencies who want to send private messages outside the realm of the less-than-private Internet. Learning about this old technology finding new uses—both practical and playful—gave me old-fashioned feelings of pride and exhilaration in the engineering genius and ongoing utility of these remarkable machines, even in our appified age.

Reading this beautifully illustrated book—nay, merely getting a few pages in—inspired me to uncover the IBM Selectric I that I inherited from my grandma when she moved into a different place. Despite the incessant hum that accompanies electrics, I loved the whole process of using it, and the basic thrill of having a piece of paper stamped with the words of my doing without the interference of the Internet and that blasted distraction machine we call a laptop. I can’t wait to write more on it, and to retrieve the other typewriters from my parents’ storage and see if they can’t be brought back to life and service.

[A.F. Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book! Absolutely everything you need or could want to know about typewriters, and the typewriter community all in one wonderfully written, engaging book! The design of this book is just stellar! From the cover, to the photo layouts, to the ribbon bookmark! Just perfect. I devoured this book in a matter of a week, and had so much fun learning so much. So much valuable information, from repair, to culture, to community, to inspiration.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you have any interest in typewriters, their history, mechanics, maintenance, which one to buy, or how to join the revolution, this is defintely the book for you. It lends itself more to browsing than cover to cover reading. And there's just a bit too much of the author in the book. It's greatest flaw, and one that's rather ironic, is that the type font is way too small!

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have joined the revolution! If you want to know about typewriters Polt’s book is a must. History, parts, what kind to buy, The Typosphere, an online world for typers and so much more is all here to inform and inspire you. After contemplating a typewriter purchase for years and browsing typewriters to purchase online, Polt’s passion has rubbed off. I’ve adopted the manifesto and joined the insurgency! Ordered my typewriter from Wessel at Working Typewriters in the Netherlands. It has shipped! Type on!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched. Took me a while to get through (4 years according to Goodreads) as I just picked it up when it took my fancy. One I’ll definitely refer back to.

[Marta Pelrine-Bacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for typewriter lovers everywhere. Lots of useful info and love for wonderful machines.

[Joanna Calder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I have become a manual typewriter collector, this book resonates tremendously. The book is about the typewriter insurgency, with the following as its manifesto:

“We assert our right to resist the Paradigm,
to rebel against the Information Regime,
to escape the Data Stream.
We strike a blow for self-reliance,
privacy,
and coherence
against dependency, surveillance, and disintegration.

We affirm the written word and written thought against
multimedia,
multitasking,
and the meme.

We choose the real over representation,
the physical over the digital,
the durable over the unsustainable,
the self-sufficient over the efficient.

THE REVOLUTION WILL BE TYPEWRITTEN.”

[Kevin Bjorke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tries too hard?

I enjoy my typewriter but for some reason this book just perhaps tried to make too big of a thing out of it.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's my essay about this book for the Chicago Tribune:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&r...


It’s possible to spend a fair length of time doing something intuitively, just because you can sense somehow that that thing is good and right and beneficial for you; then, there is an added pleasure that can be gotten after someone else comes along and articulates—using clear language and beautifully reasoned arguments—what you had so far only felt on instinct. This unexpected but entirely welcome articulation is what typewriter expert and philosophy professor Richard Polt’s new book, The Typewriter Revolution: A Typist’s Companion for the 21st Century, came along this Fall and did for me and my roughly four-years-and-counting intuitive love of writing on typewriters.

In fact, I could easily have written this essay on a typewriter—I own a dozen—but I didn’t. For one thing, the machine that I most want to use needs a new ribbon that it won’t receive for a few days, but more on that in a moment. For another, I prefer to use my 12-and-counting typewriters for poetry and correspondence, not longish prose. For that, I favor my laptop, which suits both my style of composition, and editors who might not be thrilled if, instead of emailing my drafts, I sent typed paper copies by mail.

Polt’s book is lovely and large-format with pictures interspersed among the text, which is itself delightfully hybrid: part history, part philosophy, and part user’s manual, complete with labeled images of typewriters and how to use and repair them. Although he’s modest about it, over the past two decades Polt has become perhaps the most famous American participant in the Typosphere, “a zone between the typewriter and the computer” consisting of “typewriter blogs, typewriters that can communicate with computers, and other ways in which text and ideas can be exchanged between the digital and typewritten worlds” (17). I interviewed him in 2014 at the International Typewriter Collectors Convention, and since then I’ve been looking forward to this book.

It does not disappoint, and offers a look at everything from typewritten street poetry and stories (including Poems While You Wait, the Chicago-based collective of which I’m a founder) to the practice of typecasting (typing something on a typewriter, then broadcasting it on the Internet).

Although Polt could have had no way of arranging this, his book arrived at a weirdly sad and serendipitous time: the week in late September when my last living grandparent, my Grandma Marge Rooney, my Dad’s mom, was dying at the age of 93 in the state of Nebraska where she’d lived her entire life. Thus, the typewriter on which I’d most like to be typing this essay, if I could, is her old black Corona, which she inherited from my Great Grandmother Mabel Rooney, and which I, in turn, inherited when I went out to the tiny town of Hubbard—population 230; sans Marge, 229—the weekend of October 2.

Going upstairs in her old house with my younger sister Beth and her daughter, Rose, my four-year-old niece, was a dim and dusty archaeological expedition. We braved the attic with its sloping ceilings and the shaggy wood-and-carpet-smell that I might never smell again with a flashlight my Aunt Rosemary gave us, digging in the cavernous closet that had been shared by the seven kids that Marge and my Grandpa Tom raised. We rummaged past old clothes, luggage with her initials, trunks full of the thousand-piece jigsaw puzzles she so enjoyed, past board games and handbags until I saw it: the huge black case with its small silver lock. We dislodged the container, hoping the machine would be in there, and it was: round keys, every letter still working, three ancient sheets of paper there, too: drafts by my Uncle Tim, youngest of the seven, writing to older siblings who had moved away.

Polt’s book opens with a serious-but-un-self-serious manifesto about typewriting, which situates it as a practice for those who “choose the real over representation, the physical over the digital, the durable over the unsustainable, the self-sufficient over the efficient” (6). This list itemizes the many reasons why I—and many others—love typewriters, even now in 2015, but it also works as a description of my Grandma Marge.

Her old typewriter, since she got it from her mother-in-law, my Great Grandmother Mabel, is a Corona from before they became Smith Corona. The Standard Typewriter Company renamed itself the Corona Typewriter Company after the success of their Corona model in 1914, then Smith Corona was created when L.C. Smith & Bros joined Corona in 1926.

When I wrote to ask him about it, my dad said of my great grandmother: “She was born in 1892. Mabel was shortened from Mary Bell. She was six feet tall. She graduated from the Normal School in Jackson, Nebraska, and taught me in Kindergarten, 1stand 2nd grade. Normal School was two years of training after High School. Her first assignment was a one room school house south and west of Hubbard Nebraska. The school was called the ‘Bell School’ because of the impressive bell in the tower.” I liked learning that Mabel, whom I never knew, went through a name recombination, too, not unlike her typewriter brand.

When I wrote Polt to tell him how much I admired his book, I mentioned this machine. He replied, “I’m glad that you inherited your grandma’s Corona — I feel very superstitious about the way typewriters absorb some of their user’s personality. I think they provide powerful connections.” I agree. That connection to places, times, and people of the past attracts me to typewriters. Only one of my 11 other machines comes from someone I knew, the very first one I got being a Smith-Corona given to me by my friend and fellow Poems While You Waiter, the poet Eric Plattner. But each machine possesses a feeling—a presence, a benevolent haunting—that you don’t get with digital technology, where everything is disposable, meant to be deposed by the newest and the next.

That’s what Polt’s book helped me realize: I love typewriters not because I romanticize the past, but because I acknowledge that there might be better ways to do things than we are encouraged to do them now. Writing on typewriters is not efficient, but as Polt points out, perhaps that should not be the sole calculation. Rather, “Some things we do aren’t means to an end, but an end in themselves. Attending a concert, playing ball with friends, enjoying a glass of wine, reading fiction—we don’t do these things for the results […] These activities are nether efficient nor inefficient; they’re self-sufficient” (340).

As her obituary said, so many things that my Grandma Marge loved were not efficient: “playing cards, quilting and embroidering, and making cookies for the neighborhood kids.” Neither are so many of the things I love, including, now, writing poems on her old typewriter. Self-sufficient things can slow a person down—make them notice, focus, practice (Tim’s drafts), and pay attention more.

Whatever we’re doing here on earth, it isn’t a race because only death awaits us at the end, and typing on a typewriter, a gorgeous, hard-to-break, analog machine—or some other activity like that—is all part of the prize, the real prize, that is being alive.

[Min · Rating 4 out of 5]

If one wasn't already in love with this marvelous invention, one will fall in love with it through the stories and images of its history and triumphs.

This is the book for the enthusiast to be inspired by the surge of interest in these marvelous machines that liberated generations by offering a new means of work.
The history of several of the most popular standard models from Europe and the United States are given their spotlight so to become familiar enough-- perhaps-- so one may buy one for the "revolution". When known, famous users of a model are listed. I appreciate knowing that Ho Chi Minh and Isaac Asimov were fans of the same machine.
The "revolution" is summarized in the Typewriter Manifesto; "The revolution will be typewritten". Taking our communications offline so that we can directly bring our words to life and in print.
The sheer amount of information offered is a treasure in itself. The section about the anatomy of the typewriter, sourcing supplies such as ribbons (which are still made) and some basic repair tools, care and troubleshooting was more than I ever learned in my typing class. Now it does cover basic techniques one needn't learn with a computer such as centering, justifying texts and line spacing. With so few typewriter repair shops available, it is absolutely vital to learn how to fix any minor issues.
Now that one has--hopefully-- a typewriter, the author delves deeply into the many splendored things that one may discover to do with this device. Of course, there is also the opportunity to customize one's instrument in so many differing ways.
I learned to type on a typewriter, and often found myself enjoying clacking away at the family's old one. I got to learn to much more about these machines and how they came to be. There are many photographs and images filling these pages to see those in action with their equipment, along with stories from the famous about their own typewriters and its importance in their lives and its events.

[Samim Hassan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is what happens when an author tries to justify nostalgia with logic.

It's a futile effort, and the end result is often unintentionally wry humor, which is absolutely the case here.

Throughout the book, the author leans heavily on popular hipster slogans like "digital detox," (analogue) rebellion, "individuality," "nostalgia," "functional art," and of course, "revolution"—yet somehow takes offense at being labeled a hipster.

But beyond the semantics, the whole premise becomes absurd when you consider the fact that pens exist—and will almost certainly continue to exist until the end of time.

They may not be as "repairable" as a typewriter—a point the author brings up repeatedly in defense of typewriters over (supposedly fragile) electronics—but they have no moving parts, and a well-maintained fountain pen can last for decades, if not an entire century.

Besides, something handwritten with pen and paper is infinitely more personal than anything typed. My handwriting is unique to me and me alone, unlike the uniform “output” of a mass-produced typewriter—or a run-of-the-mill inkjet printer, for that matter.

In the end, I'm not quite sure what I expected from this book, but I certainly didn’t expect to be preached at or talked down to for being comfortable with modern technology.

Overall, this book is a complete waste of your time and money—unless, of course, you have an almost religious devotion to typewriters. In that case, this book might just be your new Bible.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Typewriter Revolution: A Typist’s Companion for the 21st Century while waiting for my 1925 Royal typewriter to be reconditioned. It was the perfect time to read it, even though I didn’t know that when I purchased It. The book begins with “The Typewriter Manifesto”, parts of which are used as an interlude before each chapter. I learned a lot about typewriters in general and some things about my Royal in particular. Just about everything that a typist needs to know is in in the book, from typewriter mechanics to ventures into the 21st Century typosphere.

In addition to the useful content, the book itself feels like it will last a long time. It feels solid and sturdy, yet it’s pliable and easy to manipulate. I love the typewriter ribbon bookmark and all the beautiful photos of typewriters throughout the book. The old black & white prints of photos on the front and back covers are particularly nice. The Typewriter Revolution by Richard Polt is an excellent reference tool and worthy addition to any aspiring typists library.


Richard Polt is also the author of two websites: The Classic Typewriter Page and The Typewriter Revolution.

[Scribbles and Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was phenomenal. It narrates the story of the typewriter revolution - describing how typewriters are still acclaimed in the present moment despite it being a thing of the past.


It is amazing to see stories of typewriter enthusiasts and how they used the machine as an intervention to make people smile - for example, typing letters on the spot for a stranger describing their good traits.


I am also appreciative of the fact that this book illustrated the common types of typewriters and how to troubleshoot them or care for them properly. I recently just acquired a 1960 Smith Corona Corsair Deluxe and this book helped me to appreciate my vintage typewriter more.


A must-read for all typewriter enthusiasts or to anyone who's interested in typewriters.

[Jeff Zell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typewriters are making a comeback. Especially manual typewriters. This book tells the history of the typewriter. Polk focuses on manual typewriters.

Polt explains who is buying and using typewriters now. They are, by and large, younger people who are intimately familiar with all things digital but who want to think and write in a non-connected way. Polt explains what models of typewriters are available. The verbal descriptions are accompanied by pictures. He interviews people about why they are using typewriters. Polt provides information about where to purchase and repair typewriters.

This book is a treasure trove of information for those who want to join the revolution.

[Denise Terriah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. It was an engaging and beautiful read. I'd recommend it to anyone who even has a passing fancy about typewriters. It really did have a little bit of everything. There was a section on the history of the typewriter, collecting typewriters, restoring typewriters, repairing typewriters, modifying typewriters, and the usage of typewriters by the typosphere in our modern world. Each section was well-researched, well-written, and richly illustrated. If this book isn't enough to make you want to throw off the shackles of the digital, and join the typewriter revolution, I don't know what will.

[bibliotekker Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in the era when the typewriter was still dominant and computers were just wannabee usurpers. This book, one of many celebrating and documenting the resurgence of analog, has shifted my thinking regarding a tool I left behind decades ago. In an increasingly Orwellian present, when all our devices seem to be watching and manipulating us for shadowy government and corporate purposes, it hearkens back to a simpler time when the written word was truly ones own. A good primer on the current state of a resurgent typewriter culture.

[Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The information in here is priceless—there is a reason to have a 21st century guide. I learned a lot and was able to use it immediately, and I recommend reading this with a typewriter present for you to examine. That said, I could really do with the hot air about using typewriters being "revolutionary," or the people using them being "insurgents." Yeah, it's great to unplug and focus and work with your hands. No, it is not any kind of uprising. How can you look around the world and equate a quaint hobby with revolution?

[Kevin Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about typewriters and GREAT information if you want to try a typewriter to get tough writing projects done faster. (You actually write the 1st draft on the typewriter and you'll be amazed how quickly you'll finish without the distractions of a computer - Even when you turn the internet off, etc., the computer causes most of us to wonder about e-mail, shopping, news, social media, heck, even Goodreads :)

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good history, an introduction to vintage typewriters (not much discussion of "modern" ones), a guide to reconditioning and repair, and a collection of inspirational essays. It is a good book for anyone who used a typewriter in the "good old days" or has the romantic spirit to celebrate the virtues or ink on paper.

[Jodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not realize that this was about a rebellion/revolution/insurgency effort... lol. this book was weird but it also had some useful info and pretty pictures. kinda want to own a typewriter for fun but this made me realize that it's a lot of effort to maintain and I don't have many use cases for one since I'm not a writer. but maybe I'll buy one anyways...