Four Famous Typewriter Enthusiasts
Tom Hanks, John Mayer, Cormac McCarthy, and Danielle Steel show four different reasons a typewriter can remain compelling in a digital world.
For some, the machine is a collectible piece of engineering. For others, it creates distance from editing, preserves a physical record of the work, or simply provides a familiar rhythm that helps ideas move onto paper.
Tom Hanks: Every Machine Has a Personality
Tom Hanks began using typewriters as a young man and eventually built a celebrated collection. His enthusiasm appears in the documentary California Typewriter, interviews, typed correspondence, and the Hanx Writer app, which recreates elements of the typewriter experience on a screen.
Hanks has described typewriters as individual combinations of art, engineering, and purpose. That idea explains much of his appeal as an advocate: he treats a machine not merely as a writing appliance, but as an object with its own touch, sound, design, and printed signature.
He also visited the Typewriters.com store in Georgia. Read the story of Tom Hanks and Typewriters.com.
What writers can take from it
Experimenting with different machines, key touches, and type styles can make writing feel personal again.
John Mayer: A Safer Distance From Self-Editing
Musician John Mayer—whose surname was repeatedly misspelled in the earlier version of this article—was known as an early adopter of digital technology. His interest in typewriters grew after recognizing how little of his creative work existed as a physical record.
In California Typewriter, Mayer explains that the machine helped him express ideas without editing them at the same moment. That separation is valuable: a first draft can remain a first draft, with revision saved for later.
In 2018, he invited fans to send typed letters to a post office box and promised to answer as many as possible, turning the typewriter into a tool for slower, more deliberate correspondence.
What writers can take from it
Draft first and judge later. A typewriter can make it easier to keep those two creative stages apart.
Cormac McCarthy: One Tool, Millions of Words
Cormac McCarthy bought a light-blue Olivetti Lettera 32 in 1963 and used it for roughly 46 years. He estimated that about five million words passed through the machine, including novels, plays, screenplays, drafts, and correspondence.
In 2009, the Olivetti sold at a charity auction for $254,500. McCarthy did not replace it with a computer; a friend found him another Lettera 32 for a tiny fraction of the auction price.
McCarthy died in June 2023, so his section is best understood as a creative legacy—not as a list of living enthusiasts. His decades with one uncomplicated machine remain a powerful example of consistency and trust in a familiar tool.
What writers can take from it
The best writing tool is often the one that disappears into the routine and keeps working draft after draft.
Danielle Steel: Familiar Rhythm at Prolific Scale
Danielle Steel has written hundreds of books and continues to prefer large, solid Olympia typewriters from the 1940s for manuscript work. She uses computers for tasks such as email, but the typewriter remains central to her drafting process.
Her preference is practical as well as nostalgic. The physical keys, visible paper, and familiar mechanical rhythm let her focus on the story without worrying about a misplaced command or disappearing digital file.
The exact number of published titles keeps changing, which is why this updated article avoids freezing her career at the old count of 190 books. The more enduring fact is the consistency of her method across decades of work.
What writers can take from it
A low-tech process does not limit output. A tool that feels dependable can support ambitious, long-running creative work.
Four Reasons the Typewriter Endures
Identity
Each machine has a distinct design, touch, sound, and printed result.
Focus
Paper-first drafting removes alerts, tabs, and the temptation to edit too soon.
Continuity
A familiar machine can become a durable part of a lifelong writing ritual.
Physical record
Typed pages preserve drafts, corrections, and correspondence as tangible objects.
Celebrity Typewriter FAQs
What typewriter did Cormac McCarthy use?
He used a light-blue Olivetti Lettera 32 for approximately 46 years, then moved to another machine of the same model.
Does Danielle Steel still use a typewriter?
Yes. She has continued to describe 1940s Olympia typewriters as her preferred tools for drafting books.
Which typewriter did John Mayer use?
Accounts of his typewriter turn commonly identify a Brother GX-6750 electronic typewriter.
Do I need a vintage machine to get the same benefits?
No. A new manual typewriter, a modern electronic model, or a carefully reconditioned machine can all provide a paper-first, focused writing experience.
Put Your Next Draft on Paper
Compare manual, electronic, and reconditioned typewriters to find the key touch and writing rhythm that suit you.
