The Underwood

A Story by Delmar Cooper

Very short story from which a so called poem was taken.

The Underwood

Henry Madison has a computer, a keyboard, a laser printer. Henry Madison has all the gadgetry the modern writer requires. There is no reason or excuse for the cast iron framed Underwood typewriter to be anywhere near Henry’s writing, but there it is. Today it is essential, today it is the fetish god of Henry’s idolatry. There have been other fetishes; needle sharp No.2 pencils, yellow Eberhardts only please; black coffee in a mug, no cup no saucer; classical music played at low volume; certain articles of clothing. Eisenhower needed less equipment at Normandy. Henry is a writer and writers carry a lot of baggage.

Henry is staring at the typewriter. He is considering changing the ribbon, changing one flannel shirt for another, warming his coffee, re-sharpening a few pencils, and switching to Beethoven.

Henry has a goal; it is to write, more specifically rewrite and revise. He needs everything he sees, hears, feels, and tastes to reach his goal. Henry is desperately searching for that elusive piece of grit that embeds itself into the tissue of the oyster until it eventually becomes a surprising pearl in an otherwise dull chowder.

Having absolutely no ideas Henry begins to write about writing, hammering manfully away at the Underwood. Thus:

Frustration

The story is conceived in the writing and born in the re-writing.

A story is your child conceived in writing, born in revision.

A story, conceived in the pleasure of writing, is born in the labor of revision.

The first draft is happy conception, but birth comes in hard, endless revision.

The story, a pleasant written conception born in the blood and labor of revision…

Beginning in the bliss of written conception, the story is born in revision… in a litter of nasty feral beasts only one of which shall live.

In the beginning was a white page and the idea, at the end a wet basket of maimed corpses, spoiled virgins and a story.

“Once upon a time…”

The hammering continues into the night.

© 2021 Delmar Cooper

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faryn wolff

interesting, all I can do lately is write about writing.

what a trip to reflect on the process of creation.

you did well at creatively conveying that.

& this certainly reinforces my desire to once again acquire a typewriter.

looking forward to reading more of your work.