The Underwood

Very short story from which a so called poem was taken.

The Underwood

 

 

Henry Madison has a computer, a keyboard, a laser printer.  Henry Madison has all the gadgetry the modern writer requires.  There is no reason or excuse for the cast iron framed Underwood typewriter to be anywhere near Henry’s writing, but there it is.  Today it is essential, today it is the fetish god of Henry’s idolatry.  There have been other fetishes; needle sharp No.2 pencils, yellow Eberhardts only please; black coffee in a mug, no cup no saucer; classical music played at low volume; certain articles of clothing.  Eisenhower needed less equipment at Normandy.  Henry is a writer and writers carry a lot of baggage.

 

Henry is staring at the typewriter.  He is considering changing the ribbon, changing one flannel shirt for another, warming his coffee, re-sharpening a few pencils, and switching to Beethoven.

Henry has a goal; it is to write, more specifically rewrite and revise.  He needs everything he sees, hears, feels, and tastes to reach his goal.  Henry is desperately searching for that elusive piece of grit that embeds itself into the tissue of the oyster until it eventually becomes a surprising pearl in an otherwise dull chowder.

 

Having absolutely no ideas Henry begins to write about writing, hammering manfully away at the Underwood.  Thus:

 

 

Frustration

 

The story is conceived in the writing and born in the re-writing.

A story is your child conceived in writing, born in revision. 

A story, conceived in the pleasure of writing, is born in the labor of revision. 

The first draft is happy conception, but birth comes in hard, endless revision.

The story, a pleasant written conception born in the blood and labor of revision…

Beginning in the bliss of written conception, the story is born in revision… in a litter of nasty feral beasts only one of which shall live.

In the beginning was a white page and the idea, at the end a wet basket of maimed corpses, spoiled virgins and a story.

 

“Once upon a time…”

 

The hammering continues into the night.

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[faryn wolff]

interesting, all I can do lately is write about writing.

what a trip to reflect on the process of creation.

you did well at creatively conveying that.

& this certainly reinforces my desire to once again acquire a typewriter.

looking forward to reading more of your work.

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks for reading and happy new year. I suppose you are resolved to write more, good luck with that. I do hope you will read something better than the "Underwood."

[Nusquam Esse]

I have a 1930's Royal from when I was a kid. We were too poor for a computer, so I grew up writing my homework on it. It wasn't in particularly good shape, but it was functional with patience. Later, as an adult I refurbished it, removing rust from the inner workings with electrolysis, adjusting the tension on the springs, recreating broken arms with a grinder, and cleaning up the glass on the keys. Ironically, only after cleaning it, does it have little use. There are benefits to not using a computer, fewer distractions and the like; but a typewriter is, as you put it a fetished ritual. You dedicate yourself to setting up your surroundings to be 'just right', and suddenly writing lacks spontaneity, it becomes a routine...as do its contents. I think I have written better lines on my own arm with a felt marker than by sitting down in front of my typewriter. These days, I use it to type out works I have already extensively revised, as the typewriter is more a matter of aesthetic than creation. Perhaps I just don't handle routine well?

[Delmar Cooper]

Well said. Routine stifles spontaneity, but the craft of writing relies on routine. We all decry "policy" as the refuge of the mediocre, but if a policy is to rely on the fortuitous accident of inspiration and distain the labor of writing and revision; what happens? Not much, in my experience.
" It wasn't in particularly good shape, but it was functional with patience." This gem could be my biography.
Thanks so much for your comment and for your presence here in the Café.

[Arundass TP]

I love this. I am alo mad about using vintage gadgets. The typewriter you mention really attracted me

[Helen]

In the beginning was a white page and the idea, at the end a wet basket of maimed corpses, spoiled virgins and a story.

“Once upon a time…”

The hammering continues into the night.

I am trying to move from turning my inner experiences into a story or a poem in my writing because when I do this, the story is already written and I am just putting the words around it. So the end of your "very short story" (which said an awful lot) spoke volumes to me - a white page and the idea. Once I have come up with an idea, I will be able to see whether I am skilled enough to fill the page around it.

Sorry, this is all about me! I just wanted to say that I have been wrestling with these thoughts and you have helped me. I have learnt a lot from your first two paragraphs too about keeping it short, but packing in the imagery and ideas at the same time. I enjoyed reading this and it has been an education too.

[Helen]

Oh, and I could hear the typewriter lol

[Delmar Cooper]

Helen, ship launcher, trouble maker, she of the beautiful mind, thank you for writing about yourself. Who knows you more intimately? How would I know lest you share?
You are skilled enough to enchant me with flattery, how can you be less skilled at creating your own opus? Now as for me I don't always have "inner experience", but I always have an inventory of "credible lies" and there is a treasury of stolen ideas to pilfer through. No want of raw material in fact, an embarrassment of riches. So, I say to you . Go forth and Lie! Rape , rampage, pillage and pilfer from the public library, steal from the best and hide your felony by cloaking the goods with a veneer of thy own words. Get thee hence Helen. Launch a navy.

[Helen]

Ha! You have definitely made me smile and returned the enchantment of flattery!

I think need to work on my credible lies, but if I needed encouragement this is it! I'd like to claim the trouble maker title too, but also not sure I am there just yet.

Thank you and let's see .....

[Delmar Cooper]

Call me if you need to borrow a cup of lies.

[Helen]

that really did make me chuckle out loud.

[h d e rushin]

Coltrane went into the Van Gelder studio in New Jersey in 64 mostly dope sick to record "A Love Supreme" without any notes. In those days, they weren't improvising they were rubbing their fatigued bodies down with the flame of spontaneity . It's a miscellaneous line drawn with our plump zen that when crossed commits a person irrevocably. Writing never starts in heaven swayed from the swatches of hell....But vis-versa.....great story....dana

[Delmar Cooper]

The sounds you make about the sounds they made make me hungry. Hush now, you hear.

[TL Boehm]

Eisenhower needed less equipment at Normandy, THAT.
A litter of nasty feral beasts THAT!
Such a great voice in this piece. The above are my two standout lines but the whole thing - I know this guy. I can see him.

[Delmar Cooper]

I appreciate your reading and your comments. It is really about "not much", but it is a common "not much."

[danielle.]

I call it a word vacuum.

I did lol though, haha nice work.

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks for reading and letting me know.

[Sam-Stafford]

I'm a fan of this one and especially this line, "Henry is desperately searching for that elusive piece of grit that embeds itself into the tissue of the oyster until it eventually becomes a surprising pearl in an otherwise dull chowder."

[Delmar Cooper]

This piece of drivel is not ambitious. A monkey could have written this. Your story about the released convict is ambitious. I have some stuff posted that is risky. This ain't one.

[roarke]

Hamming? hm. Smoked I hope. The first paragraph is classic. Punchline to an old joke: The bear says to the hunter, "You don't come here for the hunting, do ya?" Enjoyed.

[Delmar Cooper]

hamming?!! S**t! Hammering, hammering, good catch, thanks correcting now. I owe you one.

[Garrett Leatherman]

I love the simplicity of your writing. Great tone. I think I speak for all writers when I say this is extremely, perhaps even painfully, relatable. The idea of writing as conception and revision as giving birth is spot on. Were you going through a creative block when you wrote this one?

[Delmar Cooper]

LOL creative? I just write s**t, if it halfway works a reader gets a look otherwise - round file.

[Haley]

This is such an easy piece to identify with while being well written and interesting. I love that you mention the idolization of writing tools, because I've found that more with myself too.

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks for reading, the stuff is more a procrastination anchor than a writing tool, but I know what you mean.