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.