“Mark Twain Innovated the Employment of a Typewriter in Crafting Novels”
Image of author Mark Twain, captured by A.F. Bradley in New York, 1907. (Public domain)
In his 1904 autobiography, Mark Twain declared himself the “first individual in the world to have a telephone installed in his residence for practical uses.” He also claimed to be the inaugural author to utilize a typewriter for what he referred to as “manuscript work.” As one of the most prolific writers globally, Twain had a penchant for exaggeration; however, his assertion regarding his typewritten manuscript appears to hold historical validity.
As per his autobiography, Twain commenced typing his correspondence in December 1874. In his initial two typewritten letters, he referred to his Remington typewriter as a “new-fangled writing-machine,” one that “demands a genius to operate it correctly.” Less than a year later, the writer discarded his typewriter, labeled it a “curiosity-breeding little joker,” and tried to sell it off on two occasions (it was eventually returned to him each time). He even went so far as to express his dissatisfaction with the device in a letter to E. Remington & Sons, signing off with his pen name, Samuel L. Clemens.
“Please do not even disclose that I possess a machine,” he pleads. “I have completely ceased using the typewriter because I could never compose a letter with it to anyone without receiving a return request asking me not only to describe the device but also to inform them of the progress I had made in its use.”
Only later did Twain acknowledge the typewriter’s value. One chapter of his autobiography claims he dictated his 1876 novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, to his machinist, who then type-copied the book in 1874. However, Tom Sawyer was published from a handwritten manuscript, not a typed one, casting doubt on the author’s recollection.
The more plausible scenario is presented by Life on the Mississippi, which was submitted to its publisher in typescript and was released seven years later in 1883, following Tom Sawyer. Although Twain may have misremembered the specific details, it is well-documented that Life on the Mississippi was the first novel ever submitted to a publisher in typed format. This is quite a noteworthy accomplishment, especially for someone who frequently accused the typewriter of “ruining his morals” and “making him want to swear.”
Mark Twain may have been resistant to the typewriter, but historically, he was also the first to employ it to write a novel, specifically Life on the Mississippi.
Cover of the inaugural U.S. edition of Twain’s “Life on the Mississippi,” published in 1883. (Public domain)
References: The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mark Twain, A Biography, 1835-1910; Mark Twain on the typewriter; MT and the Typewriter; Mark Twain Wrote the First Book Ever Written With a Typewriter
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