Authorly Artefacts

Cormac McCarthy's typewriter sold Friday at Christie’s to an unidentified American collector for $254,500. This is more than 10 times its high estimate of $20,000.

But why do we seem to venerate the artifacts of famous authors? (Remember, for example, Dicken's writing desk?) Do the buyers of such objects hope that glorious inspiration will somehow rub off on them? Do they hope that it will in some mystical sense bring them closer to the author.

Perhaps the latter. One memory from this year I will cherish is fitting my fingers to the keys of Anthony Burgess' typewriter and hoping to sense the ghost of the man ...

Great Desk-pectations

Charles Dickens' mahogany writing desk and walnut chair, handed down through the family, sold for just over $850,000 at auction at Christie's last week. The proceeds go to the Great Ormond Street children's hospital in London.

The buyer, Tom Higgins, made his millions as CEO of a psychic readings business, but plans to use the desk where Dickens penned Great Expectations, to write letters.