♪♪
-Hi there, and welcome to the show.
I'm Nancy Guppy, coming to you from Elliott Bay Book Company.
Seattle's beloved literary hub
that's been going strong since 1973.
♪♪
Reading books is, of course, an all-seasons activity.
But when the weather turns cold and wet
and darkness descends at 4:00 in the afternoon,
curling up with a good book holds a particular appeal.
Plus, the gift-giving season is upon us,
and you cannot go wrong with a book.
Peruse book titles,
get book recommendations from the staff,
and check out their robust in-store calendar of events
at elliottbaybook.com.
We've got a great lineup of local art for you, including...
-Do you use fancy hair products? -Yes, I do.
-..."63 Questions" with glass artist Preston Singletary...
-There's something else I'd like to say about this town.
-...a new take on a classic play...
and the rockin' feel-good sounds of Marshall Law Band.
-♪ I been rolling with some people ♪
♪ that will keep my soul and mind straight ♪
♪ Lately I've been feeling like there's way too much ♪
♪ On my plate ♪
And we'll begin with a charming, old-fashioned business
in Bremerton that's been going strong for 75 years.
-When you use a typewriter,
you become focused on what you're thinking,
and you just put your thoughts directly on paper.
And there's nothing between you but you
and that little keyboard.
It's really magical.
My name is Paul Lundy,
and we're here at the Bremerton Office Machine Company,
and we reside in a spiffy little 1946 office building.
Originally, Bob Montgomery and his dad started the business.
He came here after World War II.
His dad had gotten the contract at the Navy Yard,
and the company has been in business since 1947.
-What is it about typewriters?
-[Laughing] What is it about typewriters?
That's so funny 'cause you look at these things
and it's just, like,
they're just pieces of mechanical stuff, right?
Permutations over the years and the decades,
all doing one thing, and everybody having
a slightly different idea on how they should look.
Like that cute little Royal Portable P,
the most darling little typewriter.
And then you get this ponderous Underwood
sitting here -- all doing the same thing.
Typewriters are a thing of the past.
[ Laughs ]
You certainly won't -- you certainly wouldn't buy
a modern typewriter today.
[ Laughs ]
There's a large group of people
who I call typewriter enthusiasts,
who, like me,
have recognized the uniqueness of these machines
and what they do, and the different styles
and the different eras of what they represent.
-Hi.
-And they've become enamored with them, too.
And they bring them in, sometimes, by the dozens.
So go ahead and put your machine there and...
Wow!
Nice little Royal 10.
And you're solving a problem for them, which is kind of cool.
So it looks like it needs paper rollers
all the way around, okay?
You're helping them in some way, right?
You guys are really stuck.
Like today, advising him
not to repair his typewriter because of rust.
There it is. There's the rust.
But going ahead anyway,
you know, or just helping somebody change ribbon.
One, two, three, seven.
And the customers themselves...
So yeah, 1929. -Hmm.
-...it runs the spectrum.
Everything from the elderly who just need a helping hand
with a more modern typewriter
to people who come in with family heirlooms
that have been on the shelf for decades.
-Well, we'll do our best. -Okay.
-Let me write you up a service ticket, then, you crazy person.
-Yes, I am. -Boy!
There's a very small group of people who write and publish
and have come to realize that the typewriter
is key to their creativity.
And I am very fortunate to service typewriters
with these people and just to listen to them
tell me how focused they've become,
just because they don't do their first draft on a computer
or a pad or whatever, but on a typewriter.
Yeah, this is a really good example
of a Smith Premier No. 2.
This is from the year 1900.
I have always loved repairing things.
I've been in facilities work for decades,
made a career out of facilities,
worked for a lot of local biotech companies.
This is the type basket.
And you can see they come up from down below.
The original instructions had you brushing your type.
Ta-da! [ Laughs ]
Look at this.
This is actually wood, and these are all sewn in place.
I mean, the craftsmanship of even just a cleaning brush
is amazing.
Then, one day, I read in "The Seattle Times"
"Last typewriter repairman at 92," and I thought,
"Wow, I got to go see that guy."
So went down here the next day. I met Mr. Montgomery.
He knew every single
manufacturer and typewriter and model
and all the different changes that had been made
on any particular model throughout the decades.
It was like the knowledge the guy had was just incredible.
I got hooked. I just got hooked.
So, this is a Remington Model 1 Noiseless.
They were known as "the noisy noiseless."
Not exactly noiseless.
Once a week, and then twice a week.
And then pretty soon, I think I had two jobs.
Ah, look at that tiny screw. Oh, my God.
By the end of the year,
I was having so much fun doing this
in my spare time with Mr. Montgomery,
I just asked him, "Do you think I got what it takes?"
And then he looked at me.
[ Sighs deeply ]
"You're okay."
Looking at me over his glasses.
Classic Mr. Montgomery.
I asked Lisa, my wife.
"I think I'm gonna do something crazy.
Are you okay with this?"
And she said, "This isn't the first crazy thing you've done,
so I'm probably gonna be okay."
And then I bought the business at the end of the year.
The reason why I'm here today
is because Mr. Montgomery really did stick it out.
I mean, he created a little niche for himself that survived.
So look, if you're in your 90s,
if you bring something that's pretty simple,
I'm gonna give you same-day service,
because we all know that you got better things to do
than to be waiting for a typewriter, sitting around.
But if you're younger,
you're gonna wait like everybody else.
[ Laughs ]
You know, you never know where life's gonna take you.
And right now, it's taken me here with typewriters,
and I am having a time of my life,
and I'm gonna do it for as long as I can.
[ Typewriter dings ]
♪♪
-For hours, location, and how to make an appointment,
go to typespec.com.
♪♪
Our musical guest this week is the fabulous Marshall Law Band,
featuring, from left to right, Josh Richins, Metal Marty,
Mercy Lewis, Marshall Hugh, The Hospitality, and Reign,
performing their hit single "Runnin'."
♪♪
-We believe music can change the world.
So right here on "The Art Zone"
with the one and only Nancy Guppy,
we gonna change the world.
Sing along with us at home.
♪ I want my world to change ♪
-♪ I want my world to change ♪
♪ I been reading, I been searching ♪
♪ For a whole new mind state ♪
♪ I been rolling with some people ♪
♪ that'll keep my soul and mind straight ♪
♪ Lately I've been feeling like there's way too much ♪
♪ On my plate ♪
♪ Lately I can't help but feeling like I gotta ♪
♪ Make my great escape, sing it with me, say ♪
♪ I want my world to change ♪
-♪ I want my world to change ♪
-♪ I want my world ♪
-♪ 'Cause I've been runnin' and runnin' and ♪
♪ Runnin' and runnin' and runnin' around ♪
♪ I've been runnin' and runnin' and ♪
♪ Runnin' and runnin', my feet on the ground ♪
♪ I've been runnin' and runnin' and ♪
♪ Runnin' and runnin' and runnin' around ♪
♪ I've been runnin' and runnin' and ♪
-♪ Runnin' and runnin' and look at us now ♪
♪ Runnin' and runnin' and runnin' around ♪
♪ Runnin' and runnin' and made my mom proud ♪
♪ Runnin' and runnin' and runnin' around ♪
If you're like the MLB,
well, you view the world differently.
Tired of staring at the same four walls
and fighting with the same people.
-I'm sick of you!
-So when we sing, we want our world to change.
We sing that 'cause we've seen our world change.
Right here on "The Art Zone," let's change the world together,
baby.
♪ I want my world to change ♪
-♪ I want my world to change ♪
-'Cause I've been runnin' and runnin' and
♪ Runnin' and running and runnin' around ♪
♪ I've been runnin' and runnin' and ♪
♪ Runnin' and runnin', my feet on the ground ♪
♪ I've been runnin' and runnin' and ♪
♪ Runnin' and runnin' and runnin' around ♪
♪ I've been runnin' and runnin' and ♪
-♪ Runnin' and runnin' and look at us now ♪
♪ Runnin' and runnin' and runnin' around ♪
♪ Runnin' and runnin' and made my mom proud ♪
♪ Runnin' and runnin' and runnin' around ♪
♪♪
[ Cheers and applause ]
♪♪
-Catch Marshall Law Band live at the Crocodile
on Friday, December 23rd.
Watch for the band's new record,
slated for release in spring 2023,
and access their song catalogue on Bandcamp.
♪♪
-And now "63 Questions"
with renowned glass artist Preston Singletary.
-Hello there. -Hi.
-Welcome to my studio.
-Thank you. -Come on in.
-Wow, so much eye candy. How long have you been here?
-I've been here 15 years.
-And what's your favorite weather for making glass art?
-I usually work from the fall into the spring of next year,
when it's a little bit cooler.
-If you didn't live in Seattle, where would you live?
-There's other places to live? -[ Chuckles ]
Were you a rebellious teen? -I was.
-And did you have a favorite teacher?
-My favorite teacher was Pete Wilson,
who was my jazz instructor in high school.
-Name a musician you'd like to have a beer with.
-That would have to be Jimi Hendrix.
-Mm. How many times a day do you check your phone?
-Probably too much.
-Do you prefer silence or white noise when you sleep?
-Silence. -Do you use fancy hair products?
-Yes, I do. -[ Chuckles ]
What's something you do to stay healthy?
-I do Pilates, and I lift weights.
-Would you rather go to an art show or see live music?
-Live music.
-And what's the name of your band?
-Khu.éex'. -What does that mean?
-It means "potlatch" in the Tlingit language.
-What do you love about playing in front of an audience?
-I love working with musicians and improvising
and the energy between the band members,
and I like the exchange with the audience.
-Do your kids enjoy your music?
-They told me that they like one song that I've written.
-Do you have ants in your kitchen?
-I got ants in my pants, and I need to dance.
-[ Laughs ]
What was your first concert? -It was Blue Oyster Cult.
-And what was the last album you listened to start to finish?
-"Joan As Police Woman."
-Do you have a turntable? -I do.
-Do you sing in the car?
-No, I don't sing in the car.
-Are you surprisingly bad at anything?
-Yeah, I'm sure there's several things,
but I don't like to think about it.
-Do you have any tattoos?
-I do have a couple of tattoos, but they...
That's a long story.
-Okay. Do you doodle? -I do.
These are some sketches for pieces
that I want to make in the fall.
-And what languages do you speak?
-I speak English, and I speak Swedish.
-And what is your favorite museum in the world?
-In the world?
Well, I was recently at the Natural History Museum
in New York City.
That was pretty cool.
-And if you could gain one ability, what would you choose?
-It would probably be woodcarving.
-What two words best describe your art?
-"Contemporary" and "culture."
-And what Tlingit symbol really speaks to you?
-Well, there's this mask right here
that actually has my mother's hair on it.
-Wow.
-And that's one of my favorite pieces.
-Wow.
At what age did you hit your stride?
-It was probably around age 27. -Mm-hmm.
And what self-imposed rule have you broken?
-Many of them.
-On a scale of 1 to 10, how organized are you?
-I like to say I'm about a nine and a half.
-And what's your astrological sign?
-I am a Leo.
-What smell reminds you of your childhood?
-Beeswax and burning cherry wood.
-Ooh. Do you like your name?
-Actually, I had to grow into my name.
-Uh-huh. What is a favorite holiday movie?
-"Scrooged."
-Do you go to Starbucks?
-Not very often.
-Do you like roller coasters?
-I like old roller coasters, but the ones that kind of, like,
go crazy and 100 miles an hour, I'm not into that.
-Are you a sports fan? -I am a baseball fan.
-And who's your team? -It's the Mariners.
-Do you play Frisbee?
-I used to play a lot of Frisbee when I was a kid.
-What is it about glass that captivates you?
-I think it was the ability to work with my hands.
That's something that came natural for me, I guess.
-And glass art is so physical.
What body part takes the biggest beating?
-I think it's my shoulders. -Mm-hmm.
How hot does your furnace get?
-Well, right now, it's at room temperature.
But this is the furnace that usually is
at about 2,300 degrees.
-Wow. -That's where the hot glass is.
-Have you ever tried to roast a marshmallow in there?
-No, but we do sometimes make coffee on the steel table
with hot bits of glass.
-These tools in here look so sculptural.
Which one is your favorite?
-Well, this is the main tool that every glassblower uses.
These are called jacks.
These are one of the main shaping tools.
And you can constrict with them, and they're very practical.
-Does the work give you an adrenaline rush?
-Usually.
-And have you ever had a major glass disaster?
-I burned myself last fall. -Mm.
Is it hard to let go of your completed work?
-No, I say easy come, easy go. -Oh.
-And as an artist, what are you most proud of?
-I like it when I can get
my work back into the home community.
-And what do you like better -- acupuncture or massage?
-Massage.
-And spiders or snakes?
-I'd have to go with spiders.
-Crunchy or creamy?
-Crunchy, please.
-Camping or glamping?
-Definitely glamping.
-Order or chaos?
-Somewhere in between.
-Jimmy Kimmel or Jimmy Fallon?
-Mm, Jimmy Fallon.
-A Prius or a pickup?
-Actually, I prefer my Vespa. -Oh.
And when it comes to technology,
are you an early adopter or late to the game?
-I'm an early adopter.
-What's one of the most meaningful
compliments you ever received?
-Well, that was when I received a name from my mentor,
which signified growth as an artist and as an individual.
-Mm.
Do you have a motto?
-I like to say, "Work hard and be nice to people."
-Well, I can't argue with that.
So great to meet you, Preston. Thanks for having us.
-It's good to meet you. Thanks for coming by.
We'll see you later.
♪♪
-More about Preston is on his website,
and see his work in person
at Traver Gallery in Seattle, Washington,
Schantz Galleries in Stockbridge, Massachusetts,
Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico,
and at the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian
now through January 29th, 2023.
There's lots of great live performance in town,
and one show in particular caught our attention.
It's Pony World Theater's take on the Thornton Wilder classic
"Our Town," called "Not / Our Town."
Written and directed by Brendan Healy,
"Not / Our Town" tells a story of family, community,
and those journeys in life that are common to all of us.
The twist is that the story will be different every night
because before each performance,
audience members fill out a survey
choosing from possible options of what they want to see happen.
Teenagers on ladders? Sure!
Stuff falling from ceilings? Why not?
Whatever gets the most votes
will show up on stage that very night.
"Not / Our Town" runs now through December 3rd
at 12th Avenue Arts.
Link to tickets at ponyworld.org.
And that's a wrap.
Big thanks to Elliot Bay Book Company for hosting us,
especially Kait Heacock.
Store hours and location are at elliottbaybook.com.
And thanks to you for tuning in.
Have a great week, and we'll see you soon.
♪♪