[Ads-l] Quote: They're not writers; they're typists. (Truman Capote, Sprint 1957)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

That's not writing, that's typing

The expression above is often attributed to Truman Capote although the
phrasing varies. A great new citation in 1957 was brought to my
attention by Terry Teachout of the WSJ. Previously, the earliest
citation (I knew about) was dated January 1959. The key phrase in 1957
was:

. . . they're not writers; they're typists.

[ref] Spring-Summer 1957, The Paris Review, Number 16, Truman Capote,
The Art of Fiction No. 17, Interviewed by Pati Hill, Paris Review,
Inc., Flushing, New York. (Online archive of The Paris Review at
theparisreview.org; accessed March 27, 2016) link [/ref]

http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/4867/the-art-of-fiction-no-17-truman-capote

[Begin excerpt]
But yes, there is such an animal as a nonstylist. Only they’re not
writers; they’re typists. Sweaty typists blacking up pounds of bond
paper with formless, eyeless, earless messages.
[End excerpt]

More information is available here:
http://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/09/18/typing/

Garson

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