The first newspaper article I wrote and sold, at age 16, was typed on a Smith and Corona manual typewriter. Dad kept the brown-gray piece of technology in a leather-zipped carrying case, stored underneath the wooden office desk in the den.

Despite having precise handwriting, he typed everything: Return envelopes. Weekly missiles to his parents. Ticket requests to the University of Nebraska athletic office. Worksheets and pop quizzes for English classes.

The young version of me watched the keystrokes push the carriage across the roller and made me wonder, “How the heck does he type that fa...