Jackalopes, mermaids, and typewriters

News story:

A new organization that aims to enchant Cincinnati youngsters with the power of the written word launched a fanciful fundraiser Dec. 1 with the help of local and national authors. ... WordPlay asked 20 authors “to contribute a previously unknown fact about a legendary animal,” such as a jackalope or a mermaid. “They have to write this fact on a physical object – a canvas, a bus ticket, a map – to create a unique work of art, with the authors expressing their creativity in a new way,” she explained. The objects will be sold at online auction, and all proceeds will go to WordPlay. ...

To make words a more tactile experience, WordPlay’s space features devices that most computer-age children have never seen: typewriters. ... “They actually fight over who’s going to get to use them. They think they’re the coolest thing ever. The experience at WordPlay makes writing cool, so to speak. It’s where the kids are learning that writing is not just an assignment; it’s a self-expression.”

***

The whole story is here, including a video in which WordPlay's director tells the story of the organization. As many typospherians know, I volunteer as WordPlay's typewriter guy, but it's much bigger than typewriters.

And here are the eBay auctions for this unique fundraiser.