Computer Virgin

by Pat Antonopoulos

A caution, Gentle Reader...I ramble better than I edit. This qualifies as a ramble.

If I am fortunate enough to be attending a poetry reading, I am mesmerized and rush home to find my poetry books that disuse has pushed to the back of a shelf. Listening to poetry is symphony. Reading poetry is learning the scale, often taking several rereads to understand. The exception is receiving a poem or a bit of a poem sent because it has meaning to one of my sons. He discovers the beauty and depth---and I receive the gift.

The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, KCPT PBS, spotlighted a poet living and teaching in Wichita, Kansas. The poet invited the camera to record as he worked with ".59 pens and .99 spiral notebooks". The gentleman tagged himself a 'computer virgin', saying his finger has never touched a computer. His finished product was typed on what he called "an old fashioned typewriter. (Of course, I couldn't help thinking that The NewsHour and Mr. Lehrer should highlight Four Ordinary Women. We, too, have a unique story worthy of the spotlight.)

This took me back to a delightful meal conversation at House of Menuha.
It has been several weeks so I will not trust my memory of names and methods, but our range of styles was as different as our personalities.

Some of us sharing that evening did write exclusively with computers, aching for the keys if responsibilities kept them away for too many hours. From concept to completion, the computer is the favorite tool of some writers.

My bedside table, my desk, the computer stand, a small counter top in the kitchen and even the microwave serve as file cabinets for my bits of thought scribbled and stacked.

Most writers used a combination of methods to reach the same goal and I am not clear on exactly why the gentleman poet distinguished between computer keys and typewriter keys. New tech and old fashioned tech produce a printed page. The end isn't dependent on the means.

As always, a rambler does eventually arrive at an end place, but the destination was not mapped.
This is one of those times.... Enjoy this amazingly beautiful day.