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Monday, 16 April 2018

Authors With Typewriters and Writers' Environments

I was mindful of increasing the workload for Richard Polt when I posted on Nobel Prize in Literature winners and nominees with their typewriters the other day. And sure enough, Richard, tongue firmly in cheek, duly responded.
Meanwhile, Tony Mindling commented on his love of seeing the writers in their environments. Between them, Richard and Tony have inspired me to return briefly to the subject. For a writer's environment, my own favourite is this image of Robert Penn Warren at work:
Some years ago Richard and I wondered whether Tennessee Williams was the writer most often photographed at his (various) typewriters. Now I think the honour should go to Georges Simenon:
And what is this odd looking typewriter Renée Faure is using in the 1960 film le President, based on a Simenon novel?
Finally, these images of Katherine Anne Porter remind me of how different and more pleasant it is to sit down at a gleaming manual portable, as opposed to a Selectric or indeed a computer:

5 comments:

  1. I don't know which is more impressive, all the typewriters or the pipes of George Simenon! Health concerns aside, it's a shame the pipe has fallen out of popular style. Perhaps no other personal article so quickly implies intelligence. Vape pens fall far short of this, in comparison.

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  2. I agree with Peter's comments on George Simenon, He did look good smoking a pipe and he sure had a large collection. I find the pictures fascinating.

    Keep up the great blogging!

    John

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  3. Quite an impressive pipe collection. Those first few photos look like my office and I'm not a writer! Nice work Robert. Good to see the writers at work.

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  4. Looks like Simenon was a Royal man, until he switched to a Lettera. Yes, quite the pipe assortment!

    I like Warren's denim jacket and pants and sandals look too.

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  5. Another great post for me to bookmark!

    I believe it's possible that Renée Faure is using a MAP.

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