We looked around for the little black Royal typewriter that the company still makes, but it could only be special ordered and I couldn't see it in person. I was a little concerned because the new typewriter was all made of plastic.
Then, I remembered something that was sitting on my bookshelf in the office among the Hemingway books. It was a typewriter someone found for me years ago at a garage sale. At the time I just wanted it for decoration, so I put it on the shelf and sort of forgot about it - especially after Tom propped one of his photographs in front of it and was using it as an easel.
But when I remembered it, I pulled it down and took a look. It is a metal portable typewriter, just like I was looking for. It was kind of grungy, but Tom cleaned it up for me and we ordered a new ribbon on-line for a few dollars and there it is!
Tom looked up the model number and found out it was made in the 1940's and this model was one of Hemingway's favorite typewriters.
Although it has a very "soft" touch, it's still difficult for these fingers who have only used electric typewriters and computer keyboards to push down hard enough to get a good strike. But I use it for what I had originally thought I would do, type an occasional poem that I want to look old-fashioned and aged.
Slow writing is a great thing.
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