This weekend I travelled upstate with my Dad and brother to visit my Grandpa who lives in Horseheads, NY. On Saturday, we took a trip to the Glenn Curtiss Museum in nearby Hammondsport. Born in the sleepy village at the south end of Keuka Lake in 1878, Curtiss transformed American aviation and established Hammondsport at its center. Unknown to us, upon entering the museum we learned that we were visiting on what would have been Curtiss's 144th birthday. The museum is a testament to one man's ingenuity and the sleepy village which produced him.

Glenn Hammond Curtiss, c. 1909.

Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.

Glenn Hammond Curtiss, a gifted inventor who only reached the 8th grade, began racing and selling bicycles, then built engines and turned the bicycles into motorcycles. In 1907, he reached a top speed of 136mph on a V8 motorcycle. He was dubbed the 'fastest man on earth', a title which remained unbroken until 1930. Eventually, Curtiss began equipping dirigibles with engines before teaming up with Alexander Graham Bell in an aviation start-up called the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA). The AEA built several 'heavier-than-air' machines (airplanes) and on June 4, 1908, Curtiss flew the 'June Bug' in the world's first kilometer flight, at the location of the present day museum. Though the flight was five years after the Wright brothers successful attempt at Kitty Hawk, it was the world's first announced and public exhibition of a man in flight. Over the years, Curtiss remained in the spotlight, completing flights from Albany to the skies over Manhattan and other exhibitions. Curtiss created the first flying schools across the country and manufactured and sold aircraft. While most know of the Wright brothers contributions to aviation, Glenn Curtiss is the most influential person in the evolution of American aviation. [1]

The 'Fastest man on Earth'. 

Glenn Hammond Curtiss 

flying the AEA June Bug 

at Hammondsport, N.Y., on July 4, 1908,

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

The museum is a large collection of all modes of travel, while showcasing the history of Curtiss's forays and successes in bicycling, motorcycling, and aviation, as well as the Curtiss-Wright Corporations achievements during World War I and II. The museum also has a restoration shop and a section about local and regional history. Hammondsport must have been an exciting place in those early days, with young Curtiss racing his bicycles among its streets, and soon after flying above them. Just after the turn of the 20th century was an interesting time in American history and Curtiss was at the center of it, using his engines and designs to propel man into the skies, transforming American culture and the world. On the shores of Lake Keuka stands an aluminum replica of one of Curtiss's airplane designs which he tested on its waters. A few minutes south of Hammondsport, Curtiss is buried beside his family at the Pleasant Valley Cemetery; a giant stone which reads the family name marks the spot, and a plaque memorializes Curtiss's achievements.

[1] https://glennhcurtissmuseum.org/education/who-was-glenn-curtiss/


Resources
https://glennhcurtissmuseum.org/
http://aviation-history.com/early/curtiss.htm

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Glenn-Hammond-Curtiss

Monthly Roundup: What I'm reading, watching, & listening to - April edition

Movies: The Donut King; JFK

When the communist Khmer Rouge regime won a bloody civil war and took control of Cambodia in 1975, refugee Ted Ngoy and his family fled to the United States. He began baking donuts and quickly built a multi-million dollar empire, employing only Cambodian refugees who are still in business today. This is a heartwarming tale of the American dream built on America's favorite sweet - donuts!

Earlier this year I went down an Oliver Stone rabbit hole - I watched The Putin Interviews, Platoon, and listened to Stone on various podcasts when I realized I hadn't seen his infamous conspiracy theory movie JFK. The film details New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison's (Kevin Costner) 1969 investigation into President Kennedy's assassination - the only such case ever brought to court. With a cast of actors including Tommy Lee Jones (Clay Shaw), Gary Oldman (Lee Harvey Oswald) and Danny Devito (David Ferrie), the movie is a wild ride if not a bit long. In 1992, one year after the film's release, renewed public interest prompted President George H.W. Bush to sign the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act which released all declassified documents for public viewing and established the Assassination Records Review Board. Even if you aren't a fan of conspiracy theories, JFK is still worth a watch for its insight into this turbulent era of American history.

Music: The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Woodstock

I suppose in keeping with the '60s vibe I've been into lately, I downloaded a bunch of music (yes I still download music) from the 1960s: the Woodstock Festival's live album, Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsies album, Santana's self-titled album, Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow, and The Doors self-titled album. I grew up listening to a lot of these bands and I keep coming back to their albums. I have a few records from the '60s, and even more albums in my iTunes library but realized I was missing several key albums. Music from this era always makes me feel good and strangely reminiscent.

Podcasts: Criminal: Breaking into the FBI

This episode of the Criminal podcast highlights how the robbery of an FBI building led to the first ever investigation of the FBI and the subsequent revealing of the FBI's illegal tactics against political activists.

In 1971, a group of brave men and women broke into an FBI building in Pennsylvania. Their plan was to take as many documents as they could to prove that the FBI was spying on antiwar activists. They called themselves the Citizens Commission to Investigate the FBI. The group successfully robbed the building, sorted the documents and released them to several newspapers, and were ultimately published by the Washington Post. The documents proved the extent to which the FBI was monitoring, surveilling, and infiltrating not only political activists, but also black power groups and the black community as a whole. One document contained the term COINTELPRO. Subsequent Freedom of Information Act requests to the FBI to release documents on this program were denied, until a 1975 Senate committee investigated the FBI and other intelligence agencies. COINTELPRO was an illegal FBI counter-intelligence program designed to subdue movements which threatened U.S. politics.

TV: Q: Into the Storm

Cullan Hoback's HBO docuseries Q: Into the Storm is a comprehensive investigation into the QAnon conspiracy, the catalyst for the attack on the U.S. Capitol building by supporters of President Trump on January 6, 2021. Hoback dives deep into internet security and privacy, free speech and information warfare. The series is a primer on other internet mysteries like Cicada 3301 and takes a look at a string of white-nationalist shooters who found a community on imageboards 4chan and 8chan. Who is Q? Is it Ron Watkins, 8chan admin and son of 8chan's founder, Jim Watkins? Was it a government or military psy-op? Even if the series doesn’t quite wrap up the mystery behind the anonymous poster who claimed that President Trump would save the world from a cabal of bloodthirsty pedophiles, Into the Storm is an in-depth look into a real movement in US politics during the Trump years.

Writer Documentaries

I haven't posted in a while. I've been trying to finish up a post about Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 film Apocalypse Now. I hadn't seen the film before and it made such an impact on me that I wanted to write about it. The film seems larger than life and there are so many themes, details, and angles that I want to cover. So, while I finish that post up, I wrote up a quick post about some writer documentaries I've watched recently. This also took a while to complete - I took notes as I watched and later wrote up some thoughts on the documentaries but I just couldn’t seem to complete the post. I decided to keep the list confined to those writers that I've actually read, which seemed to make my own writing on the documentaries a bit easier. I'm always interested in learning about the writer's journey so these documentaries offer endless inspiration.

• Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)
• Salinger (2013)
• Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time (2021)

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)

Every now and then I'll go through a Hunter S. Thompson phase. I'll read or watching something, and I'll get sucked in - how can I resist? He lived life at a furious pace and his writing was exciting, daring and outrageous as a result. To be honest, I haven't yet read his most famous novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (I've seen the movie and also The Rum Diary.) I've read several essays and his later novel The Curse of Lono, which is just as gonzo as the rest though not as well known.

The documentary covers Thompson's rebellious childhood to getting his start writing for the Air Force and becoming a counterculture icon in the 60s and 70s, his most creative and influential period. Say what you want about the man, myth, the legend, but he threw himself into the zeitgeist of the era. After all the drugs, drinking, and mania, Thompson's writing still resonates today in American culture. A must see for any Gonzo fanatics.

Salinger (2013)

Like most Americans, J.D Salinger's Catcher in the Rye was required reading during my school years. I read Catcher in Mr. Crane's seventh-grade English class. I brought in an old copy my Dad kept in a bookcase in a dark corner of the basement. Mr. Crane asked me to purchase a new version - he thought my old edition could be worth something (I still have Dad's copy). When I read it for the first time, the writing and story grabbed me but I knew there was something I wasn’t quite understanding then. Upon subsequent reads during high school, I was struck by two thoughts: first, I thought 'Oh there's someone who sees the world as I do'; and second, that a book could have a different meaning at different parts of my life.

The documentary looks at what is publicly known of Salinger but remains a distant look at the author as there are no interviews or speeches given by the man himself. When Salinger became the 'voice of a generation' after publishing Catcher in the Rye, he stayed away from public life. During World War II, Salinger saw some of the heaviest fighting in Europe, including landing at Utah Beach on D-Day and later the Battle of the Bulge. He kept writing throughout the war and met with Hemingway in Paris. Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951 and afterward Salinger became known as a recluse. The documentary attempts to reframe this view of the author as a man who did not want to be the 'voice of a generation' and would rather keep writing and never publish again. Perhaps one day Salinger's manuscripts will see the light of day.

Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time (2021)

When I spoke to a few friends about influential books during their formative years, most had either read Catcher in the Rye or Slaughterhouse-Five. I didn’t read Vonnegut's most well-known work until I was in my mid-20s (Breakfast of Champions is on my list of books to read).

The documentary feels as unstuck in time as Billy Pilgrim, jumping around to different parts of Vonnegut's life, but ultimately giving a comprehensive look into the writer's life, with Vonnegut doing much of the storytelling. Director Robert Weide proposed the documentary to Vonnegut in 1982 and the two become lifelong friends. Over the course of 40 years, Weide continued to work on the documentary and the result is a very personal look into Vonnegut's life, from birth to death, and the experiences which impacted him along the way. Perhaps the most notable moment of Vonnegut's life was his experience as a prisoner-of-war during the allied bombing of Dresden in 1945, resulting in his 'Dresden novel' Slaughterhouse-Five. Weide describes Vonnegut as the Mark Twain of the 20th century. As Vonnegut works on Slaughterhouse-Five, we see him as a struggling writer, moody and angry; quite a contrast to the funny and quirky old man we come to know in the later years of his life. The documentary is a fascinating look into Vonnegut's journey as writer.

Other writer documentaries to check out:

• Harlan Ellison: Dreams with Sharp Teeth (2008)
• Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia (2013)

Monthly Roundup - What I'm reading, watching and listening to: March Edition

Books: The Fellowship of the Ring: The Lord of the Rings Part One - J.R.R Tolkien

I've read The Hobbit a few times but have yet to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I've read about 150 pages of The Fellowship. Tolkien is an expert storyteller who takes his time spinning this tale into an epic of modern literature. In his foreword, Tolkien writes that he didn’t draw on current events or life experiences while writing the books and that the story has no meaning or explanation in the present. Rather, he wanted to try his hand at writing a long story, which he has done masterfully, through his words, songs, languages, and drawings.

Music: Road to Knowhere, Tommy Guerrero.

Though I discovered Road to Knowhere a few years ago, I finally downloaded the album and have had it on repeat this month. Tommy Guerrero, legendary California skateboarder, has recorded several albums featuring his genre-bending guitar playing. The album is comprised of guitar-driven instrumentals and blends latin, african, jazz, funk and surf music. Road to Knowhere evokes road trips along dusty desert highways to forgotten places with Guerrero's guitar guiding us on our journey.

Movies: The Rum Diary

“I wanna make a promise to you, the reader. And I don’t know if I can fulfill it tomorrow, or the day after that. But I put the bastards of the world at notice: that I do not have their best interests at heart. I will try to speak for my reader. That is my promise. And it will be a voice made of ink and rage.

While looking through papers in writer Hunter S. Thompson's home, actor Johnny Depp discovered Thompson's manuscript for The Rum Diary and helped to get the novel published and adapted into a film. Largely autobiographical of Thompson's time in Puerto Rico, Depp plays failed novelist Paul Kemp who gets a job working for the local newspaper San Juan Star. As Kemp explores the island in a series of alcoholic adventures, he gets caught up with businessman Sanderson who tries to lure Kemp into his plan to turn a beautiful island into a tourist hellhole. Kemp's boss wants him to play by the rules while Sanderson wants Kemp to publish fiction as fact about his development plans. Kemp learns by the end of the film that he must use his voice to keep the 'bastards of the world' in line. I enjoyed the film and I look forward to reading the book.

Podcasts: SYSK Operation Northwoods episode

Josh and Chuck from Stuff You Should Know always find a way to break the tension and inject some quirky humor into their episodes, even into topics as diabolical as the hare-brained schemes of the United States government. In 1962, with tensions growing between the U.S. and Cuba's communist government under Fidel Castro, the Joint Chiefs of Staff proposed Operation Northwoods- a false flag operation designed to justify U.S. military intervention in Cuba. Ultimately rejected by President John F. Kennedy, Jr., Operation Northwoods included plans to target Cubans traveling to Florida, to sabotaging/destroying U.S. ships in Guantanamo Bay to staging mock attacks on U.S. fighter planes. Tensions increased in October 1962 with the Cuban Missile Crisis and covert operations in Cuba ceased thereafter. This podcast is an interesting insight into the dark annals of American history during the Cold War.

Til next time,
KW

Typewriter Updates

Testing the machine post-clean.

I recently did some maintenance on my 1957 Royal Companion typewriter. I had a few sticky keys and needed to install a new ribbon. I'd like to share how I fixed these issues. I'll include some videos I found helpful in the Links section below.

Since I picked up the typewriter, several keys had become pretty sticky. My first step was to clean the segment. I picked up a bottle of mineral spirits, a spray bottle, a nylon brush and microfiber towels. It's important to use a product like mineral spirits or denatured alcohol when cleaning your typewriter as any product containing water may cause rust- and NEVER use WD40. I put a towel underneath the type bars and on any other surface I wanted to protect from the mineral spirits. I sprayed the mineral spirits into the segment, removing the excess with a towel or compressed air. I used the small nylon brush to work the mineral spirits into the segment and onto the typebars, then worked it in further by hitting each key several times to clear out any dirt and grime in the segment. I repeated this process of spraying mineral spirits and hitting each key until there were no more sticky keys. I also cleaned the typefaces by applying mineral spirits and cleaning each face with the brush. I repeated this until the typefaces were free of built-up ink.

To clean the exterior of the typewriter, I used some Simple Green. I tested it first to make sure it was safe to use. I tried to scrub out the marks and spots, but some marks were harder to remove than others. I will have to repeat this process again. I also cleaned the keys themselves.

Once I was done cleaning the interior and exterior, my last step was to install a new ribbon. The ribbon which came with the typewriter may have been the original! It was in sorry shape with many holes, tears, and creases. I bought these ribbons and attached the new ribbon onto the original spool which came with the typewriter. I've read that it's important to use the original spools, if you have them, as these can differ from machine to machine. The ribbons, however, are pretty standard at a half-inch wide. I removed the old ribbon from the spool and then attached the new ribbon to the original spool. To wind the new ribbon onto the original spool, I used the typewriter itself by turning the spool until the entire ribbon was on one spool and then attached the other end to the second spool. Overall this process was pretty simple.  Note: gloves are recommended when changing ribbons.

So - I solved the sticky keys issue and the new ribbon types well. My typewriter types and feels like a new machine. In the future I may take it apart to really get into the areas I can't otherwise reach as there is still some residual dirt and dust.

KW

Links
Fixing stuck keys with mineral spirits
Another video on cleaning the segment (any video from Phoenix Typewriter is helpful)
This video was helpful regarding ribbons & spools

First Hike of the Year

Trail sign denoting distance to nearby landmarks.

Over the weekend, my brother Eric and I went for a hike in Harriman State Park. The park is about a 1.5 hour drive from my Brooklyn apartment and offers well maintained trails, sweeping views of the Hudson River valley, and glimpses into the area's past. I've been hiking in Harriman and the surrounding area for over 15 years and still enjoy visiting.

We parked at Anthony Wayne Recreation Area and headed south on a bike trail which intersected with the Appalachian Trail (AT). The AT is a 2,194 mile long trail which stretches across 14 states from Maine to Georgia. The trail traverses Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks as it winds through New York. We followed the AT and ascended a ridge to the east of the parking lot. From this ridge, we could see the undulating hills and ridges of the western Harriman region and beyond. We continued north along the ridge and descended from it's east side, the Perkins Memorial Tower atop Bear Mountain visible in the distance. 

Perkins Memorial Tower, Bear Mountain

As we descended, Eric slipped on ice and fell. We'd been hiking for about an hour and realized that many sections of trail were still covered in ice which made ascending and descending slow and tricky. Fortunately, Eric had the foresight to bring two pairs of microspikes- steel spikes on a harness which can be worn over any shoe. Unfortunately, we only put them on after he fell but luckily he was unharmed. Wearing the microspikes, we were able to easily navigate up and down these icy trail sections.

The trail descended into a valley. We weren't far from Doodletown, an abandoned town which existed in the shadow of Bear Mountain since the 18th century. During the mid-1960s, Doodletown was ultimately abandoned due to land disputes with NY State. Visitors to the state parks can see the remaining stone foundations of Doodletown homes and two cemeteries. During the Revolutionary War, the British army landed at Stony Point and marched to Doodletown where they split up before heading towards the American forces at forts Clinton and Montgomery, located within today's Bear Mountain State Park. The British path is denoted by the 1777 and 1779 trails.

We followed a yellow-blazed trail south towards West Mountain, our lunch break destination. The trail up the ridge was a long climb, and as is characteristic of the area, there were many 'false' summits. We held a steady pace and kept hiking. A particularly steep, rocky section - which would have been difficult were we not using our microspikes - was the final push towards the top of the ridge. At a trail junction we headed east for a few hundred yards and reached the West Mountain hiker's shelter.

The shelter faces south giving hikers staying the night or those passing through an unhindered 180 degree view of the Hudson River. The Timp, another rocky peak, sits nearby. On a clear day, the New York City skyline is visible on the horizon. On this day, we could barely make out the skyscrapers due to hazy and cloudy conditions. We had our lunches as we took in the view. A nearby couple, perhaps staying the night, cooked a meal on an open fire. A man hiked by with his companion: a large, fluffy white dog who came over to inspect our food. I snapped a few photos of the view before we headed back.

South facing view from West Mountain

It took us just over an hour to get back to the parking lot from West Mountain. We followed a blue & yellow-blazed trail back to the first ridge we climbed, then continued along the section of the AT we had hiked earlier. As we passed through a group of pine trees, rays of sun passed through the clouds, the first direct sunlight all day. We got back to my car 4.5 hours after we'd begun our hike and covered about 7.5 miles.

Our route from Anthony Wayne to West Mtn.

KW

Links
Harriman and Bear mtn trail map
New York New Jersey Trail Conference

2.21.22

In this week's dispatch - Russia/Ukraine, a walk across the Williamsburg Bridge, and a bit about my novel writing process.

Over the past week I have been following the developments in the conflict between Russian and Ukraine. I intended to write on this topic but I am reluctant to share yet - there is still so much to learn. I've realized this conflict has been evolving throughout my entire lifetime (I was born in 1989) and I am only now interested and learning more about it.

In addition to reading articles and reports about the conflict, I have been watching Oliver Stone's The Putin Interviews. Recorded between 2015 and 2017, the series offers President Putin's first full-length interview with a western filmmaker. We see Putin share his thoughts on global issues, including Ukraine, Crimea, and NATO, as well as training Judo and playing hockey. His statements on the U.S. and its role in the world are particularly interesting.

In other news, I walked over the Williamsburg bridge on Saturday. I took the J from Bushwick and as the train crossed the bridge, there was a winter squall occurring. Furious flurries and strong winds, with near white-out conditions, covered the Williamsburg and East River area. When I exited at the Delancey-Essex stop, the weather was warm and sunny again. I walked to SoHo to run some errands and then walked back to Brooklyn over the bridge. The sun was warm, with temperatures in the 40s; I walked with my coat opened. When I made my way down to Domino Park, clouds had rolled in and the cold winds picked up. The wind was powerful - I could lean into it with my arms out and let it hold me up. I walked to Bedford and took the L back to Bushwick.

Earlier in the week, I printed out the approximately 60 pages of a fictional novel I'm writing. Over the past year, I've been writing in the morning by setting a timer and just trying to follow the characters, letting the story unveil itself to me. I had a basic idea of what I wanted to write about but no outline or plot ideas. Now after writing for a while, I've come to a crossroads where I feel its time to try to connect the threads by creating an outline. There are scenes which I like and others which fall flat. As I continue, each scene will have to be fleshed out more because I've just been getting the story out - I still don't know the entire story.

Working on this piece is a fun and exciting process. I experiment with different things and try to push the writing forward. When I first started writing, I struggled with dialogue because I haven't written a fictional work before. Even if the piece doesn’t pan out into a novel, I'm still learning.

Until next week,
KW

Monthly Roundup - What I'm reading, watching and listening to: February Edition

Books: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 

Since roughly the beginning of the year, I've been reading 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'. I'm enjoying it but I've been reading slowly, usually before bed. Written in 1943 by Betty Smith, the story chronicles the life of young Francie Nolan who comes of age in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in the 1910s and 20s. Smith is an incredible story teller. Each chapter is a scene, a story on it's own, which transports the reader back to that time period. We get a look into the poor, mostly immigrant community of Williamsburg and the trials and tribulations of the Nolan family as Francie grows up. Having lived in Williamsburg and now in Bushwick, it's interesting to see some familiar streets mentioned in the book as I can compare today's Brooklyn to Smith's Brooklyn. I'm about two-thirds finished with the book. I'm interested to see how it ends, but it's taken me on such a journey that I don't want it too end too soon.

Music: Stephane Wrembel's Django Experiment; Lettuce Elevate

I've been hooked on the music of Stephane Wrembel lately, a French guitarist who plays the 'gypsy jazz' music of Django Reinhardt. I learned about Wrembel from the movie Midnight in Paris, which features his song 'Bistro Fada'. I downloaded a few of his Django Experiment albums which features songs done in the traditional style of jazz in the '20s while other songs have more of a modern interpretation. This style of music really resonates with me lately. I especially enjoyed this online performance as well.

Lettuce has been one of my favorite bands for many years and they continue to play and write music which hooks me. Every time I see them live, the band is better than the last time I saw them. I've been listening to their 2019 album Elevate lately but their live shows are especially captivating - I found this show from 2017 and it's full of the raging funk one can expect from Lettuce.

TV: The Gilded Age

I don’t watch much TV. I don’t have any streaming subscriptions. In fact, I don’t even own a TV. But occasionally a series will capture my attention. I'm a big fan of Downton Abbey and writer/director/producer Julian Fellowes has a new show on HBO. The Gilded Age is set in New York City in the late 19th century. Mostly I'm interested in the history of the era, when rich, powerful families like the Astors, Rockefellers and Vanderbilts, shaped the city and country as we know it. Some historic Gilded age mansions still exist in Manhattan today. There's only three episodes of the show available but its kept me watching so far.

Podcasts: Tanis

Ok I confess - I'm obsessed with Tanis. I wrote a bit about Rabbits, the new novel from writer/producer Terry Miles, but I haven't done a deep dive into Tanis yet (coming soon). This is the third time I'm listening to the podcast. Each time, I discover new tidbits, things I didn't pick up on the first or second listen. The subject matter is what really hooks me- a mysterious place in the woods of the Pacific Northwest where strange things occur. It's not clear who or what this place is but protagonist Nic Silver (Terry Miles) wants to find out. Equal parts conspiracy, historical, spiritual and technological, Tanis has it all for me: the story, the writing, the acting and the sound design is really well done. It's my favorite fictional podcast out there. I usually listen during work when I need to get some mindless task done like inputting data to an Excel sheet. I can just zone out and listen to Nic, MK and the gang delve deeper into the mystery. Recently, I downloaded Season 1 and listened to a few hours while on a road trip - it felt more like how a book unfolds, instead of just tuning-in to an episode here and there. I'm currently working my way through Season 2.

Movies: Encounters at the End of the World; Stalker. 

It's winter here in New York. I find the snow and cold comforting - the city is quieter, the pace is slower. One cold night, I put on Werner Herzog's 2007 film Encounters at the End of the World. Herzog travels to Antarctica to investigate the continent and the collection of people stationed there. As Herzog says, "Antarctica is not the moon, even though sometimes it feels like it."

In the podcast Tanis, Nic Silver mentions the Strugastky brothers sci-fi novel The Roadside Picnic and Andrei Tarkovsky's 1979 film Stalker, also written by the Strugatsky brothers. As I continue down the Tanis rabbit hole, I had to watch Stalker. I can see how the movie influenced Terry Miles while writing and creating Tanis, as the podcast draws heavily on Stalker. On the face, the movie is about a Stalker, a guide, who brings a Writer and a Professor into The Zone, a mysterious place full of traps but where there is a Room which can make your deepest desires come true. It's an interesting film and unlike anything I've ever seen. It's hard to explain, hard to follow at times and I'm not sure what it's really about but I loved it regardless. 

On journaling and other writing.

Writing helps me focus. By journaling in the morning, I can 'download' my thoughts, feelings and observations to the page, clearing my head while getting my brain working creatively. There's no form, just a few paragraphs on what's going on and what I'm thinking. I don't judge what I've written; I just write. This clears the way for more creative work. Here is a brief description of my journaling and writing habits. 

 

Journals

I wake up between 6 and 630am. I have a glass of water, wash my face, brush my teeth and do some stretching. Next, I perform several rounds of breathing exercise per the Wim Hof method, followed by meditation. Then, I grab a cup of coffee and begin writing.

In a daily planner, I record a brief description of the previous day's events and metrics including: wake and sleep times, meals ate, and miles walked. Recording these details lets me look back on what the day was like and what I accomplished.

In another notebook, I make a journal entry everyday (well, almost everyday). Usually I'll write about what happened the previous day. Journaling lets me write about anything and everything, in no particular order. I can get whatever's floating around in my mind onto the page. This is a great morning practice because I can exercise my brain by focusing on the writing. Last year, I journaled everyday for 80 days which solidified journaling as part of my morning routine. After journaling I will work on a blog post (as I am doing now) or another creative writing project. 

Notebooks

While watching or listening to something throughout the day, I will jot down details in another notebook (I have lots of notebooks). I do this for later reference but also because note-taking helps to remember details. Sometimes these notes become a blog post or another piece of writing. Browsing through my notebook, I see notes on various topics strewn about; they include my interests at that particular time, my observations, and my thoughts.

Typewriting

Since picking up a typewriter last week, I've been experimenting with different styles of writing. Sometimes I'll write a journal-style piece or a creative-nonfiction essay. Last week, I took a scene from a fictional novel I'm writing and tried it out on the typewriter. As an exercise, I re-wrote the screen from memory to see how it would come out. With the typewriter, I'm learning not to 'micro-edit'. When I write on the computer, I'll immediately edit what I wrote instead of getting it down as it comes and editing later, like I do with the typewriter. Plus, the typewriter is just fun to use.

Whether using a pencil in a journal, blogging on my laptop, or using a typewriter, writing helps me focus. It lets me spit out all my thoughts and organize them. I enjoy the editing process, where random sentences can come together into a cohesive piece. Even if I don't work on a project, I'm still glad I journaled that day. I will always find the time and place to write. When I'm writing, I'm only focused on what's in front of me.

KW

P.S. See below for scans of my first draft of this post. 

Typewriters

I picked up a typewriter this week. I think the idea of writing on one has long been in my subconscious but lately it had floated to the front of my brain. These machines began to call out to me. I knew I needed to get my hands on one and just try it out.

First, there were all those writer bio-documentaries I watched (post coming soon) in which Ellison, Salinger and Thompson sat poised at their typewriters. It worked for them, so maybe it would work for me.

Then there was The Spirited Man video A Computer Supplement, in which Van gives several reasons for using a typewriter. He discusses it's practicality but also it's more esoteric uses. When using a typewriter, you can sit down, free from all the distractions a computer has, and just start typing. You don't have to plug it in, turn it on, or click 'Save' when you get up and leave. The typewriter allows you to write without easily editing and deleting and, as Van says, this captures your voice. This was the video which made me realize: 'hey wait - I can use a typewriter'.

One quiet Sunday morning, I watched the documentary California Typewriter which features the story of a Berklee, typewriter shop. Tom Hanks, John Mayer, David McCullough, Sam Shepard and others, describe the ways they use and enjoy their typewriters. The film also gave the history of the machine, dating back to 1869 when Christopher L. Sholes created the first commercially successful design and the QWERTY keyboard. This documentary was an interesting insight into the cultural significance of the typewriter and a look into it's possible future in our technologically advanced society.

Last weekend, I finally got to try one out. I tested my Grandpa's IBM Model II electric typewriter which was sitting in the basement unused for years. I plugged it in and to my surprise, it functioned well. The key action seemed similar to that of a computer and would allow for fast typing. Given all the moving parts and things that could go wrong with an electric typewriter, I knew I wanted to start with a manual.

This past Monday, I went out for a walk on my lunch break. I passed a local vintage shop and noticed a black Royal in the window. I went in and took a look at it. The price was more than I was I willing to pay so I asked the salesperson if she had any more. She led me towards the back of the store where a grey Royal with green keys sat inside a tweed case. It spoke to me as soon as I saw it. The salesperson placed it on a desk and I tested it out, pressing each key, checking the carriage movement and inspecting it's condition - I learned all I know about how typewriters function from watching Youtube videos. The machine functioned well and was in good condition aside from a few scratches and dust. I'm not an expert or a collector, so maybe I overpaid for it, but I am now the proud owner of a 1957 Royal Companion.

What do I hope to use this machine for? What do I hope to accomplish with it? These are some questions I thought about once I became interested in typewriters.

I think the typewriter will be a creative tool. Perhaps it will let me get ideas down in a different way. I've been typing short essays each day and I can already see how it may change the style or rhythm of my writing. I'm not so much concerned with perfect typing or formatting right now - I can do this on the computer. The typewriter will force me to work on my spelling and grammar. Even typing this paragraph, I have made several edits to spellings and sentence structure that I couldn't have made if I were typewriting. When I write on the computer, I typically print and proofread what I've written. I love that on a typewriter I can instantly look at the words on the page and make notes in the margins or other edits. I also like the sound it makes, my fingers hitting the keys and slamming my words onto the page. It reminds me of playing a musical instrument.

So - here's to my 'new' typewriter. I hope it will be a faithful companion on my writing journey.

KW  


Links:
Dreams with Sharp Teeth
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
Salinger
Spirited Man video 'A Computer Supplement' 
California Typewriter documentary

Typewriter Revolution & Typewriter Manifesto
Typewriter history
Writers with typewriters 

A Dispatch on The French Dispatch

Wes Anderson's most recent film The French Dispatch (2021) chronicles the writing, editing and publication of the final edition of a fictional American magazine following the death of it's founder and editor Arthur Howitzer, Jr. (Bill Murray). All the trademark visual aspects of Anderson's movies are present but as I became immersed in the movie's three unrelated stories, presented in magazine form, I realized that this was a movie about writers and writing. If you are at all interested in the movie, I highly recommend it.

This week I read an article from the Brooklyn Rail on the movie and was delighted to see that someone had written about the movie's writing and it's writers. I did some more research.

I was interested to learn that Anderson wanted to make a film about a magazine and his main inspiration was The New Yorker. I found a segment from The New Yorker's Radio Hour podcast in which Anderson describes his love of the magazine and classic essays from it's team of expatriate writers. Also interviewed in the podcast is actor Jeffrey Wright, who plays Roebuck Wright, a writer loosely based on a combination of James Baldwin, A.J. Liebling and Tennessee Williams. A second Radio Hour segment includes several actors from The French Dispatch reading classic essays from The New Yorker.

Here's a list of pieces which Anderson describes as influences for the film and characters:

• James Baldwin - Equal in Paris
• Mavis Gallant - The Events in May: A Paris Notebook I and II
• S.N Behrman - Duveen (novel mentioned by Anderson at the NY Film Festival by longtime New Yorker writer S.N. Behrman)

I saw The French Dispatch when it opened in theaters and watched it again recently at home. The film envelopes me in the fictional city Ennui, France, and I become captivated by the storytelling and the writers themselves. I love seeing the writers discussing their pieces, researching, typing, taking notes. Occasionally we see into the editing process or the life of the writer. Frances McDormands character, influenced by Mavis Gallant, and Jeffrey Wright's character are particularly compelling. The movie creates a place and a time which I can't get enough of this week.

KW

Five books read in 2021

In December 2020, I posted a list of ten albums that I listened to over the course of the year. I wanted to post something similar for 2021. Each year, I keep a list of the books I've read and jot down some notes after I've finished. I try to get a sense of the writing style of the author, the storytelling, the plot, what the book made me think or feel, and which lines stuck with me.

 

As I reviewed this list, rereading my notes, I realized that I've learned a lot about reading and writing over the past year. Books enrich my life. When I get into a book, I really get into it, and if it's something I really like, I can become addicted.  I love how a good book becomes a part of my life - when I can't put it down and I want to keep reading throughout the day. Sometimes, though, I'm not sure if I like a book until I've read about 100 pages. Also, I learn best from reading and even better from writing.

Here are five of the books I read last year (full list at the bottom) and some thoughts on each.

• The Curse of Lono - Hunter S. Thompson
• Hiroshima - John Hersey
• Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott
• To Be Heard - Roof Alexander
• Rabbits - Terry Miles

The Curse of Lono - Hunter S. Thompson (1983)

“Yesterday's weirdness is tomorrow's reason why.”

Gonzo-journalist and writer Hunter S. Thompson teams up with old friend and illustrator Ralph Steadman for a series of misadventures in Hawaii while on assignment covering a running marathon. The Curse of Lono is gonzo at its best - exciting, funny, maddening, and dangerous. The book is a thrilling adventure, the words flying off the page and simmering with politics, religion, culture, drugs and alcohol. Despite this, the book is not as well-known or popular as Thompson's other books including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Interwoven with text from historical accounts of Hawaii, The Curse of Lono takes us on a journey through Hawaii's past, present and future as only the inimitable Dr. Thompson can.

Hiroshima - John Hersey (1946)

“At exactly fifteen minutes past eight in the morning, on August 6, 1945, Japanese time . . . the moment when the atomic bomb flashed over Hiroshima . . . "

When the U.S. B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb used during war on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, 100,000 people died instantly. Hiroshima follows six people who survived. Originally written in 1946, Hersey added a post-script in 1985, detailing the past 40 years of the survivors' lives. Hersey shows us the horrific effects of the bomb on the city and its occupants. We are given a view into the lives of the survivors and how they dealt with the aftermath. Hersey travelled to Japan one year after the event to report the facts about the bomb which were unknown to the American and Japanese public. The U.S. government controlled the bomb site and information about the attack [more on this here]. Hiroshima is a stark reminder of the consequences of nuclear war.

Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott (1994)

"…we may notice amazing details during the course of a day but rarely let ourselves stop and really pay attention.  An author makes you notice, makes you pay attention, and this is a great gift. "

Anne Lamott brings her experience as both a writer and teacher in Bird by Bird. She has no doubt seen many writers face the same obstacles and mistakes time and time again. Lamott offers quirky and humorous ramblings which encourage and enlighten aspiring writers every step of the way. Lamott tells us not to worry about "shitty first drafts" and just to take it "bird by bird" or, one short assignment at a time. Bird by Bird is an essential read for new writers or anyone looking to relax, to stop taking themselves so seriously and just write.

To Be Heard: A Story about Williamsburg Brooklyn - Roof Alexander (2012)

"We all shared a feeling of hunger, empty bellies, bottomless appetites that when filled, kept us up at night. When we spoke we shouted, all our voices together, a chorus of pleas and protests, rooftop dreams, voices carrying from building to building, no sky scrapers to block them, we all shared a voice, devouring the ears that accepted it, that opened to us. We would be heard. We would dizzily take in those sunrise nights and talk about what it would be like to be heard."

The year was 2006, before everyone dressed like a 'hipster' and Williamsburg became a destination. To Be Heard is a fictional novel which follows four artists living in the Brooklyn neighborhood, struggling to find their voices. Alexander romanticizes this early era of Williamsburg, drawing comparisons to Paris in the 1920s. Williamsburg is the "holy ground", a place for seekers to leave behind their old lives, start anew and find themselves.  Alexander explores the millennial 'hipster' subculture, as we follow the characters from one neighborhood haunt to the next. Four friends come together and support each other because they are outsiders, misfits who don’t belong anywhere else. To Be Heard explores themes of art, identity, subculture, and a longing to be heard.

Rabbits - Terry Miles (2021) 

 

"Some true stories are easier to accept if you can convince yourself that at least part of them are fictional. This is one of those stories."

Terry Miles, founder of the Public Radio Alliance and mastermind actor/writer/producer behind podcasts Tanis, Rabbits, Fairie, and The Last Movie, has a new sci-fi mystery thriller out. Rabbits follows protagonist K and friends through the maze of a secret alternate reality game, uncovering weird coincidences and conspiracies along the way. Miles explores things like the Mandela Effect, QAnon, and the work of John C. Lilly, incorporating the same attention to detail and mystery that makes his podcasts so addictive.  The hidden world behind the world, the last 'true' mystery; Rabbits brings us deeper down the rabbit hole with every page.

    K. Walpole 2021 Books Read

• The Nick Adams Stories - Ernest Hemingway
• The Curse of Lono - Hunter S. Thompson
• Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
• The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury
• In Cold Blood - Capote
• Hiroshima - John Hersey
• The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
• When No One is Watching - Alyssa Cole
• 50 Great Short Stories - various
• Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott
• The Muralist - B.A. Shapiro
• The Hobbit - J.S.S. Tolkien
• To Be Heard - Roof Alexander
• The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
• Born to Run - Christopher McDougall
• Travels with Charley - John Steinbeck
• Pulphead - John Jeremiah Sullivan
• Rabbits - Terry Miles
• The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald