Tom Hanks and Typewriters?
This morning's CBS Sunday Morning broadcast included a story of Tom Hanks and one of his favorite artifacts to collect…typewriters. Who knew? https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tom-hanks-uncommon-type/
As one of my favorite actors, Hanks has always played his characters on film as if he were really them. This is the first interview I've seen that brings out what I feel is the essence of who he is as a regular person. Here are three reasons why:
Mementos and personal artifacts we've collected over the years are part of our stories. Hanks explains why he loves typewriters in an emotional way that involves your senses. He even ties this into the book he is about to release, Uncommon Type. His description of each typewriter, "Each typewriter has sort of a personality", makes me see his personality in each machine. Each of us has an artifact, a memento in our lives that describe the essence of who we are. This interview makes me look around to find the memento in my home that describes me.
He reveals a part of his childhood that I never knew. By the time he was ten years old, both his parents had been married three times and he lived in ten different houses. His attitude of that period of time: "I thought it was a cool adventure. I was confused a lot about why it happened…In some ways it's like I'm going back and looking at those times, for me and my siblings, and trying to put context into the confusion." How does that change a young boy? What effect does that have on his future? Hanks explains it with a sense of calm and curiosity.
His comment at the end, "If I see enough stories that are around and start asking enough questions about where it would go, then, yea, I hope to write more." He's always looking for more. His next adventure in writing is unknown, but he keeps asking questions. I can relate.
As my first book is due to be published at the end of this month (stay tuned), I, too, hope to keep "asking enough questions" and to write more. Thank you, Tom Hanks. You and your typewriters are an inspiration.