Read today a small piece about Theodore Dreiser, a New York journalist and critic, whose pen controlled the fate of any "up-and-coming." author, painter, or filmmaker during the early twentieth century.
Some say Dreiser had too much power, his pen more a thundering sword or hammer than a simple writing tool. What interested me was a small point: He was the first to announce that he was writing with a new "machine," he called a typewriter!
The blow-back from this confession was extraordinary:
"One cannot write with a machine, absolutely impossible"!
"The purity of the written word would be lost forever!"
He received letters from around the world, some pleading to not use this diabolical invention.This reminded me of a time when a fellow student told me she could tell the difference between a piece of writing performed by a pen or a computer. I plunged into the challenge and the next day handed her two pieces of writing, one written with a pen and the other, the computer. A fifty-fifty chance, yes, but could she tell the difference?
My friend read both pieces intently. Looking up, she said,
"Honestly, Craig, you're trying to trick me."
"No," I responded. This is the real deal."
She reread both pieces and said, "This one is written with a pen and the other, a computer."She got it wrong! My point is whether writing with quill and ink or Microsoft Word, the writer's thoughts remain untainted.
Change is inevitable, adapting to change is what challenges us every day.
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