On Typing

This series explores the indeterminate space that exists between the written and spoken word. By sitting with twenty-six participants, on twenty-six typing machines, I hope to explore the organic process of granting an object—a process—its own voice. The process starts with the typing (the sound) of a single letter. Each participant took on their own approach to describing and transcribing the noises of their typewriter; each typewriter carried its own host of eccentric sounds—keys sticking and errant margin bells. What results: twenty-six moments of a typewriter speaking. But each moment, trapped again in written word, requires another reader to speak the text. (So far this project has only made it through two of the above such moments: Q and W.)

Q

Lindsay Hertz
L. C. Smith Silent
MUDD Library (Oberlin, OH)
March 3, 2008

1. crunch

2. crunch tap tap tap tap tap

3. crunch tap tap tap tap tap TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop

4. crunch tap tap tap tap tap TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop

5.crunch tap tap tap tap tap TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop fop fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop fop fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop fop fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop fop fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop fop fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop KATHUMP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop TAP fop fop fop

W

Cody Darling
Olympia Mastertype
“Men Den” (32 N. Cedar, Oberlin, OH)
May 11, 2008

1.tik

2.click cleek clack

3.wing tha tinshsheesh dubh cla-hittabubba[thwarp]-tidubh (braap) ting

4.hittawhattahudd dittadd wiwhhenennneataatapappa {wheezee} clciikakataakaphatt-hud dittinging likkittytityky stttaht clhrrhrkacktdddd (ah, jesus) dditdubh sttitittying tattahittiy phud attttahedd

5.(jesus Christ.) thittayschhh… tittatticng stigitingwhignghud fwattattippinttithaab sttintitty hahduddudutyhtit cliitcititchtdudh hiitttshcititicitt (wrraanngg) huphb tittinggclingg taithtthad sttikktitkkatitck phrerritptipahtitangudh stikktitkwit niktiknhapht(araangggg) skittcicktingtwhat ittitsnitpparittintit clikintpitck cracktititng karrtigingkrattitty sttitng hitttahatithy schritcht crietktict hudd titing hud sltitingatitingbihitd dahdud (wheetwheetrangg) adhttidiht hud atat dudhd tinting watitingadidtityhud skeetwaangggh.