The Writers Who Still Use a Typewriter to Compose Their Work

"Those schmucks with their Underwoods."
-Jack Warner on his screenwriters at work

If you're of a certain vintage, you remember and even used the relic known as a typewriter. Some of us dinosaurs even banged on the manual typewriter. The electric typewriter came along a few years later.

Just for the record, I'm addicted to my laptop. No way do I want to go back to using a typewriter. I have my reasons, too.

I used to flunk all the speed tests I took in my high school typing class. I just have fat fingers. Of course now I probably type 250,000 new words a year. Go figure. Anyways, I got to wondering if any writers still do most, if not all, of their work on a typewriter.

The following writers have stated in various places online they still rely on the old standby typewriter.

#1. Loren Estleman

#2. Elmore Leonard

#3. Harry Crews (or he did the last time I heard)

#4. Don DeLillo

#5. Frederick Forsyth

#6. Will Self

#7. Larry McMurty

#8. Cormac McCarthy

#9. P.J. O'Rourke

#10. Bob Dylan

#11. Harlan Ellison

By Ed Lynskey
Twitter: @edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles
"Nice addition to anyone’s summer beach reading schedule."
Florida Times-Union