The Appeal of the Typewriter BBC News

Typewriters have made a comeback recently as a decor trend that's garnered lovers and haters. Some call them works of art; others call them dust collectors. As author Cormac McCarthy prepares to auction off his typewriter (which he used for 50 years to type 5 million words), the BBC takes a look at the object's many layers of meaning.

Authors who continue to work on typewriters include Don DeLillo, Will Self, and McCarthy, who used a 1958 Olivetti model (not the one shown above) that's expected to earn $15,000 to $20,000 at Christie's Auction House in New York this week. McCarthy used the Olivetti to type all of his works from 1958 to 2009, including All the Pretty Horses and No Country for Old Men.

The BBC interviewed journalist and novelist Lionel Shriver (who uses a word processor) about why authors would still use typewriters in the digital age. The main reason seems to be the typewriter's staying power. In other words, it's hard to imagine typing 50 years of literature on the same MacBook. Shriver explains, "It's more reliable, it's something you can understand. I feel a little nostalgic about it."

MORE INFORMATION
• Cormac McCarthy to part with trusty typewriter from the BBC News
• Interview with Lionel Shriver from the BBC Newshour
• McCarthy's 1958 Olivetti at Christie's Auction House

Photo: Olivetti Valentine from Etsy Shop PoeticHome, $590

Comments (11)

Nothing beats the clackety-clack sound of a typewriter, either!

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. ALL work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

I own a typewriter but have never used it. It needs to be refurbished, a task I had planned on doing but never got around to. I love the sound and the look but typing on one sucks. It does force you to be more deliberate, though. There is no "delete" key on that thing.

hey, I got the same typewriter (not the $15k one) in the same colour! maybe I should drag it out to display...

I think it's cheesy for people to have typewriters as decorative items around the home. A typewriter should be used, not displayed in a hipster's home as a conversation piece.

They're also nice because you can't waste hours reading blogs and playing mindsweeper when you're supposed to be writing.

I bought two vintage typewriters (one is WWII era and the others from the early 1960s) at a flea market in Germany. They cost €5 each and both work perfectly. I bought them because they look cool but what I never expected was that we would use them so often!

We write little notes to our neighbors on scraps of paper using them, and we find we do a lot more traditional written correspondence just to have the excuse to use them. They are wonderful and fantastic - go get one in working condition, they're oodles of fun!!

Jasmine- I fail to see how using a typewriter prevents it from being displayed, and I don't think there is anything wrong with displaying an antique or rare typewriter if you have it. I love writing on a typewriter, and have churned out pages on mine. But I also like the way my LC Smith antique looks, and I like having it where people can see it. I agree that they should be used, but they should be seen as well!

My husband just gave me an awesome Smith-Corona from the 1950s for my birthday. It is gray with ivory keys and still has its original case. A thing of beauty. No, I wouldn't attempt to write a novel on it, but it is great for typing little notes!

I have many old typewriters - an affliction of sorts - I just sold a pink one to a woman who was going to write a novel on it. I wonder if she'll make it all the way through....given the little *ding* of victory at the end of each line, I think it's very possible!