Legend has it that Beat writer Jack Kerouac pounded out the entire manuscript of his best-known work, On the Road, via typewriter on one long scroll of paper during a three-week Benzedrine binge.
Now, Triangle literati can channel their inner Kerouac—hopefully without the bennies—and hustle down to Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh. There are still a couple weeeks left in April, which means there’s still plenty of time to participate in The Typewriter Project:
The Typewriter Project is a series of literary installations, of which North Hills is now one, which invites passersby to join in a linguistic exchange that exists in both the analog and digital realms. The booth is outfitted with a vintage typewriter, 100-foot long paper scroll, and a custom-built USB Typewriter kit, which allows every keystroke to be collected, stored, and posted online for users to read, share, and comment on. You type it in, and a feed posts it directly to The Typewriter Project website maintained by the Poetry Society of New York. How cool is that!?
You can check out the feed here!
Raleigh is the first location outside of New York City to host this proejct. Hours of operation are 9:00 am – 7:30 pm daily.
The Typewriter Project’s mission is to investigate, document, and preserve the poetic subconscious of Raleigh while providing a fun, interactive way for the public to engage with the written word.
The Typewriter Project’s first installation appeared on Governors Island at the New York City Poetry Festival in July, 2014. The Typewriter Project is a program of The Poetry Society of New York and The New York City Poetry Festival.
Quail Ridge Books is located at 4209-100 Lassiter Mill Rd., in the North Hills Shopping Center, in Raleigh. Visit their website to learn more, www.quailridgebooks.com.