The brilliant, often baffling Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector (1920-1977) had a love affair with typewriters: specifically, an Underwood Finger-Flite Champion, an Olympia SF, and an Underwood Dora. I've found some photos and videos of her typing, and a couple of wonderful texts in which she reflects on her typewriters. These are a good opportunity for me to practice my Portuguese (I know Spanish, but I needed some machine help with these translations). I don't currently have a Portuguese typewriter, but my Swissa Junior has some of the necessary accents.
Clarice in a trance state with her Underwood
Olympia SF at left
Photo by Cláudia Andujar, 1961
This YouTube video includes a reading of the second text, if you'd like to hear what it sounds like in Portuguese. The video was produced in connection with an exhibit of what is purported to be Clarice's Olympia and Olivetti, but the Olympia Monica in the exhibit certainly isn't the little SF in these photos. The Olivetti in the exhibit is a Lettera 22, but in this 1976 film, she's using what looks like a Dora—still in the "laptop" position that she described as "a strange habit."
Gratitude to my Swissa Junior for typing these texts.
PS: A copy of my entire blog has been created on the new typewriterrevolution.com (designed by Trent Reker). For the time being, I'll be double-posting in both places. You can follow and comment on either site. Here is this post.
great post; thanks for translating. I didn't know she was such a prolific typewriter user; but then, any writer of her vintage, chances are...
ReplyDeleteShe certainly gave her typewriters a full work-out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with her comment on the quietness of a small Olivetti typewriter.
Your new website is really nice.
Ooh, new site! Very nice - amusingly I just wrote my letter to you on my Swissa Junior. :D
ReplyDeleteKismet!
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