The Silver Surfer and The Belle of the Insurgency at Sayler Park

Sayler Park is Cincinnati's westernmost neighborhood, a narrow strip along the Ohio River with lots of history and noble trees. The producer of Sayler Park Sustains, a yearly festival emphasizing ecology, read my recent blog post about Free Thoughts and invited me to participate.

I brought two eye-catching typewriters: The Silver Surfer (Hermes 3000) and The Belle of the Insurgency (Optima). I also invited two local poets, recent MFA Matt Farley and Art Academy of Cincinnati professor Matt Hart.

The machines and Matt Farley:

The Matts listen to a festival goer:

I wrote a few poems—no masterpieces, but they fit people's current moods and needs, and that's the main thing. Here are some.

This one was for Jen, who invited me to the festival. It brought a few tears, so I consider it a success.

Here are two different responses, from me and Matt Farley, to the very sustainable theme of "compost."

I should have said "The world has no offramp."

Matt Hart has a gift for surreal imagery:

But the main thing we did was not write poems. There were plenty of kids at the festival …

... and the human kids wanted to type. We gave them that chance.

This serious young man spent about half an hour creating his piece of literature:

Hey, whatever gets kids to focus on a typewriter ...

A good friend is teaching a high-school class on analog writing next year. He describes an exchange with a student:

She said, "I want to get a typewriter. I need to learn how to use one." I said, "Well, the first part of our class will be about how to handle a typewriter." She said, "Good! I think it will be important for the future."

Yes, it will. 

Ripples

I felt it when the Typewriter Insurgency Manifesto came to me over twelve years ago:

THIS NEEDS TO BE SAID.

I sensed possibility, but I did not know what would come of it. I did not know it would lead to translations, posters, a book, even a dance. 

It continues to have ripples around the world. Here are the latest.

A few days ago I received a copy of the latest novel by Swiss writer Jean-François Jobin, which includes a French translation of the Manifesto. I haven't tried to read the story yet, so I am not sure what role typewriters or "the Paradigm" play in the plot. But M. Jobin was very kind to quote me and send me this book.

Then yesterday, Brazilian psychoanalyst André Nardi posted these pictures on Instagram.

He writes (in Portuguese):

My #tbt in 2021 was a turning point. I was experiencing almost unbearable anguish caused by isolation during the pandemic and also by a difficult dismissal I was facing along with a lawsuit. My psychoanalytic clinic was in its infancy with only a few patients...

I was already a passionate collector of typewriters; however, they were kept in their cases and every now and then I would open one to type. I felt the urge to connect with them in a deeper way and started researching possibilities in this regard.

The movie @californiatypewriter was an oasis of inspiration, a visceral passion that only confirmed my not-so-naive connection with “typers”. In this movie, Professor Richard Polt @typewriterrevolution, from the Philosophy department at Xavier University, makes an incredible appearance with his “Typewriter Manifesto”. It was there that I discovered the movement I needed to take my life out of stagnation and sadness.

I got in touch with great partners from São Caetano's Department of Culture, @bunderdouglas and @nelsonajr, who opened the doors to my POETRY: I take a typer, improvise a table and a chair to listen to people in the streets and squares telling me moments of their lives. I listen and type, transforming the moment into poetry.

It was and has been a process of healing, love, revolution and connection!

It's moving and almost unbelievable to see these ripples making their way around the planet. I am pointing them out here not in order to boast, but in order to encourage anyone who reads this: 

Your poems are served

On the off chance that you want lots more doggerel, check my Instagram and Facebook.

 

Give me poem topics

On Saturday I'll be typing poems for the public at a neighborhood festival. I need to get my lyrical juices flowing. Give me a topic, any topic, and I'll type up a poem that will appear in my next blog post. My time limit will be five minutes per poem—so expect something closer to Bukowski than Shakespeare.

Philly Typewriter starts a trade school

We have reached a notable moment in the history of typewriters in the 21st century. Philly Typewriter has just graduated its first certified typewriter technician, Ryan Anderson, and is now officially opening a trade school. Bravo!

"After four years of development and the conferral of its first degree, Philadelphia Typewriter LLC announces the launch of its trade school in Typewriter Restoration. The care and knowledge it takes to restore a typewriter to factory settings can sometimes seem insurmountable, but the mechanics of Philly Typewriter are ready to meet the charge. Opening our four year program focusing on not only the mechanics and aesthetics of the machines, Philly Typewriter will equip mechanics with certifications in machine work, developing focuses on manufacturing and tooling, and produce well rounded and certified mechanics in a forgotten industry as it enters the 21st century. If you are interested in becoming a certified mechanic and can join us in Philadelphia, we are excited to accept your application and look forward to meeting the next generation of typewriter mechanics.”