Feeling Stockton

The Underwood typewriter. My father used to type song titles and the artist's names on the little cards that went in jukeboxes on the exact model pictured above. The thing scared and fascinated me. I think it is one of the reasons I took to writing. I wanted to master this beast. This machine feels like Stockton.

Nine Months into writing KNOCKDOWN and the novel keeps expanding and demanding. I have been diligent about being at the desk every morning and getting in 3-4 hours of good work. About every 6-8 days I collapse and it takes me a day or two to start again. So much research material to continue to read. I put together a visual bibliography of this beast and it feels good to see all the books that went into where I am right now. I love the research. This writing taught me that I am not a craftsman in the sense that I can make the same thing over again perfectly wrought. I like books like that all right. But most often I have been able to see the structure underneath most novels and continue to read on in spite of the false urgency of the plot. I guess I would like to feel some real urgency. I think I would like to remember what it felt like to walk down Washington Street on the edge of Chinatown, alone, at twilight in summer. I would like to feel that in my story.

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