Further to my post yesterday about Puff the Magic Dragon being based on a poem written in Ithaca in 1959 by Lenny Lipton and turned into a song by Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary fame, who owned the typewriter upon which Lenny wrote the poem) ...
Mr Lipton has been in touch with Mr Yarrow in the past few hours and between the three of us we have been able to identify the typewriter in question as a Smith-Corona Zephyr (seems almost appropriate, doesn't it?):
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete(It's great when a bit of detective work yields such an interesting story!
ReplyDeleteJust think of how many creative Muses there are, lurking in your collection for example, each with its own interesting backstory, just waiting to be unleashed.
There's a poem or a song or a novel in there, somewhere.
Good, and quick, sleuthing!
ReplyDeleteYou a pothead, Messenger?
ReplyDelete(Just kidding, of course.)
Thanks Cameron, Richard and Duffy. You will be pleased to know that Mr Lipton has asked if he can use the image of my Zephyr for a book he is writing about the song. Naturally, I am delighted to let him use it.
ReplyDeleteYes, Cameron, my entire collection is growing evidence of that eternal search for the one typewriter that will draw out my great Australian novel :).
Duffy, my days of Acapulco Gold, Panama Red and Moroccan Black are long since gone (but may well return in the novel) :) ! You may have noted that I was a bit wary about what I said of this issue, as Mr Lipton and Mr Yarrow are very sensitive about it, and I suppose I can see their point.