Richard Polt: Changing the world, one typewriter at a time.
Fantastic stuff, Richard. That there is now a children's writing center using typewriters is an amazing achievement for the Insurgency. It is sad, though, that the SG1 is only for display purposes. Damnit, bring them over a Remington or something to replace it and get that SG1 over to the kids! This could be detrimental, of course, having young children viciously fighting over a typewriter near as big as them...
I hope Wordplay thrives. Kids need every chance they can get to create with this wonderfully complicated language of ours. They get the kinetic experience of the typewriter and the machines avoid trips to the landfill. What a great combination!
It does seem like more and more typewriters are coming out of the woodwork, so to speak. In a perfect world, we'd just drop them out of aeroplanes on tiny parachutes like Royal did back in the Thirties...or was it Twenties? The Wordplay initiative sounds promising. The world could do with one more "To Kill A Mockingbird" or "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and (at least) one less "Fifty Shades of Grey".
That is fantastically wonderful Richard. It is wonderful that a place is provide for children to write. It is much better than having them plastered to a PC screen playing games. I hope to read more about your involvement with Wordplay.
Wordplay sounds like a wonderful organization. I also love their logo. I never want to be too sweeping in statements, but I really think the Typosphere is challenging the way people think about the creative act of writing. I cannot think in the past (when it came to writing programs for children) where the typewriter was even concidered a viable component. Now, we see them popping up everywhere. It's a really exciting time to be working with kids and the written word.
wow, that's great. i'd love to see some kids programs with typewriters here in boston. it'd be great!
ReplyDeleteCheck this place out. I don't know if they have typewriters, but they should!
DeleteRichard Polt: Changing the world, one typewriter at a time.
ReplyDeleteFantastic stuff, Richard. That there is now a children's writing center using typewriters is an amazing achievement for the Insurgency. It is sad, though, that the SG1 is only for display purposes. Damnit, bring them over a Remington or something to replace it and get that SG1 over to the kids! This could be detrimental, of course, having young children viciously fighting over a typewriter near as big as them...
I hope Wordplay thrives. Kids need every chance they can get to create with this wonderfully complicated language of ours. They get the kinetic experience of the typewriter and the machines avoid trips to the landfill. What a great combination!
ReplyDeleteOh..... WOW!
ReplyDeleteSeeing more and more of these machines out there, actually doing things interesting, is fantastic!
But in a way, it reminds me of how many machines could have been enjoying a second life now, that had been brutally keychopped.
It does seem like more and more typewriters are coming out of the woodwork, so to speak. In a perfect world, we'd just drop them out of aeroplanes on tiny parachutes like Royal did back in the Thirties...or was it Twenties?
ReplyDeleteThe Wordplay initiative sounds promising. The world could do with one more "To Kill A Mockingbird" or "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and (at least) one less "Fifty Shades of Grey".
That is fantastically wonderful Richard. It is wonderful that a place is provide for children to write. It is much better than having them plastered to a PC screen playing games. I hope to read more about your involvement with Wordplay.
ReplyDeleteWordplay sounds like a wonderful organization. I also love their logo. I never want to be too sweeping in statements, but I really think the Typosphere is challenging the way people think about the creative act of writing. I cannot think in the past (when it came to writing programs for children) where the typewriter was even concidered a viable component. Now, we see them popping up everywhere. It's a really exciting time to be working with kids and the written word.
ReplyDeleteI share everyone's excitement about Wordplay, I will look forward to more details about your participation.
ReplyDeleteThat's given me a great idea for offloading spares. There are kids' museums all over this area. I'm going to start sounding them out.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! Let's hope that the next time I get down that way, these places are still there. I think this is all a very good sign.
ReplyDeleteEncouraging AND reassuring, indeed! Great story.
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome find! I look forward to more information about it.
ReplyDelete