I started dating an antique dealer and so far have acquired:

a) digital piano (storing in my place until she decides she is ready to learn piano (ie permanent storage)) b) a 78-record player (needs some work, I think), with plenty of 78s c) a manual typewriter in decent condition (I will likely have questions)

I used to consider mysel a writer, but the kind of writer that talked about “being a writer” to make up for a shameful sense of inadequacy" more than he ever wrote. Fact is, I don’t even like to journal.

But am a little intrigued by the manual typewriter: a device that instantly outputs your writing onto paper, that is a little slow and finicky, and that does not have Alt-Tab access to the internet.

The big question, though, is: why not just write long hand? The learning benefits of long hand are apparently quite strong–writing the words out strengthens the connections of our brains in a way that typing does not; however, reading on PAPER is apparently much better for learning than reading digital, so maybe the typewriter still has a neurological advantage over a computer keyboard.

For my part, when I did write long hand for journals of various types, I ended up not being able to read my writing, like, at all, so that would be one major reason.