What I’m reading

A ground-breaking advancement in the field of obsolescence, yours for only $NZ 854.42:

This antique typewriter has been modified to work as a USB Keyboard for PC, Mac, or even iPad! That’s right—its a beautiful and fully functional computer keyboard!

The USB Typewriter can type all letters, numerals, and punctuation marks. It also includes shift, space, and return carriage (which is literally activated by the typewriter’s return carriage!). Many non-standard keys, such as F1-F12, esc, ctrl, and so on are available with a special toggle key.

The modification is very clean leaves the typewriter looking, feeling, and working like a regular typewriter—and yes, it still writes beautifully on paper. A beautiful, functional, unique addition to your home office.

A good profile/interview by Craig Sisterson with Paul Thomas in the Listener, in advance of his excellent new crime novel Death on Demand, out on 28 February.

Mick’s nix to Blix.

They say that the pen is mightier than the sword. But what if a writer is not only a wordperson but also a swordsperson? Dunedin crime writer Vanda Symon says that at the NZ Masters fencing tournament she:

was delighted to gain a bronze medal in the women’s electric foil and came 4th in the mixed visual foil.

OMG. I had no idea when I edited her first two novels what a risk I was taking.