LD Resources

© 1998 Julia Bolus
jul@ropenet.com

Julia Bolus is a creative writing teacher, published poet, and artist. She makes small edition, hand-made artist books.

On Sundays, my partner and I go to our favorite Italian diner for breakfast. This morning, we slide into our regular booth by the window and check out our new AlphaSmart. It feels as durable in my hands as a child’s “See ‘n’ Spell.” I’m resting my back against the wall with my legs stretched out on the red vinyl booth seat and the AlphaSmart on my lap. John has already named it the “new edition to the family,” and he’s designing a FileMaker stack with various templates — memo, letter, fax, etc., with a button-driven interface for the novice user. For the few years we’ve lived in this small city, we’ve done some of our best thinking on paper placemats at our diner; the AlphaSmart is less messy and much more efficient.

Thanksgiving break: I lounge on the couch with a cup of tea and Tom Waits on the stereo. The AlphaSmart is so light, it’s like resting a paperback on my lap. The keyboard feels slightly oversized, which gives typing a playful feel. For me, that’s what writing is, whether I’m teaching or practicing my own craft–it’s playing with words, with lines. I like the feel of this… somewhat temporary. Later, in bed, propped up with pillows by the cozy blaze of a fire–the only thing cooler would be an AlphaSmart with a backlit display, so I could write here in the dark.

Next Sunday, I’m going to a birthday party for a good friend, who is also a writer and a teacher. Will have to bring this new tool as a show and tell.

On Thanksgiving Day I show the AlphaSmart to my eleven year-old cousin, Ashley. She loves it. Later, she says, “I could take this on a long trip, like when we go to Maine, and type in everything neat that I see.” Pretty soon there’s a line, with all my little cousins waiting to get their turn to type.

It’s unseasonably warm for early December. This afternoon I set up a wooden folding chair in the backyard and bask in the sun while I write. Again, the AlphaSmart is so light in my lap, it’s more like resting a thin pad of paper there. I decide to open a new file to begin a journal entry…

The wonderful thing about sharing this instrument with others is seeing what each person who tries it does with it. So far, file #2 says “I love you!!!!!” File #5 captures a Sagittarian birthday moment: “Once there was a fire and within the dream of warm things there was a blue memory and there she stood among her friends and fellows….”

I work for the playwright Arthur Miller as his literary assistant. I bring the AlphaSmart over and show it to him and his wife Inge Morath, who is an international photographer. They are both delighted. Both travel a great deal; Inge has just returned from a short trip and said “This would have been perfect for Uruguay!” (She later borrowed it for a trip to Ireland.) Arthur opens a new file and writes: “The thing about this computer is that it is compatible with all versions of doss, floss and moss. It has a wonderful keyboard and can keep your notes perfectly in order as long as you can think of something notable.” He notes with approval its similarity in function to a typewriter. “Finally,” he says.

Quite a few friends who have seen my AlphaSmart have ordered one for themselves. It’s such a versatile tool. I’ve used the AlphaSmart to take notes at meetings, on trains…. I’ve used it on interviews and freelance assignments; I’ve written in my AlphaSmart journal while camping and at the beach…. All in all, I’m delighted to have discovered a writing tool that’s so comfortable, unbreakable, and light. Its playful feel is quite freeing; the possibilities for writing wherever I want are endless.