FAQs with the Founder

Founder Athena Pajer winks at the camera

Why Typewriters?

Because they're cool, next question...

No, but really! They are incredibly interesting and very fun to collect, which is why there are five typewriters in my car right now! When it comes to writing: it’s both challenging and liberating to not have a “backspace.” It pushes you to live in the moment, appreciate the character a typo can give to a very human-made poem, and it’s just mesmerizing to hear them clacking away.

Our typewriters also have backstories, even if we don’t know exactly what they are. What do you think the story is of a typewriter made and shipped over from West Germany? From Czechoslovakia (yes, it’s from back when that was one country, not two)?

I also bought one off of Facebook marketplace at nine o’ clock at night before our first market ever. That was a fun elevator-pitch to a random stranger–now a fond acquaintance.

Why poetry at farmers’ markets?

The short answer is: what’s not to love about a farmer’s market? There’s a great way to support the local community, and discover something really special. For years, I’ve loved finding earrings, art, and other items at farmers’ markets.

The long answer: When I was living in London when I was 19, I fell in love with the idea of doing Typewriter poetry for tips, which I saw a lot of people doing. Until this summer, I haven’t had the chance to try it. Well, this summer I was bored so I decided that combining my two interests, farmers’ markets and poetry, might be worth a try. So far, it’s been more than a good idea. I realized accidentally that poetry is not often represented in these spheres like visual arts is. So, we’ll keep making poetry fun and a little bit more accessible by bringing it into these spaces!

Is it difficult to get typewriters?

Not really, there are a ton available on Etsy, Ebay, Amazon–any massive internet store. However, the trick is to find one that are suitable for hauling back and forth between the home and to the market–or ones that even type at all. Some type, but don’t have a high enough quality of type to achieve the look we’d like our poetry to have: cleanly-typed, with a simple look free of smudges.

So, where do you get the ribbon (ink)?

In all honesty–Amazon! Some typewriters have older-fashioned, wide spools, but I could even find those on Amazon, too.

Where are you from?

Arica, Farris and I are from Decatur, Illinois. We’re currently based out of Bloomington, Illinois because I live there!

Is all of the poetry original?

Most of it is original, but we also take the time to recreate public domain poetry, such as the Haiku by Matsuo Basho, and other poets that might be noteworthy. I mainly do this because, though I consider myself to be good at poetry, I am much more an appreciator of great poetry.

What else do you guys do?

We write a lot of poetry outside of the markets, of course, and some of it is poetry that we write together–as a group. In fact, one of our workshops we offer is “Poetry Together,” which is all about using each others shared experiences to write poetry. You can contact me, Athena Pajer, at athenadpajer@gmail.com for info.

Can I join as a poet?

Abso-fricken-lutely! We travel all throughout Illinois, and have opportunities for markets and other events and we welcome poets of all levels to join. You can also email me to learn more!

Can I book services?

Please do! We don’t just do poetry events, but because we have typewriters, they make a great wedding activity, class activity, and more. Like I said, typewriters are cool. If you go to our booking page, we offer free consultations so we can fit your ideas!

How much do services cost?

Custom poetry at markets can range from $10-20, not including a frame (oh yeah, we offer to frame poetry for you!). If you want to commission a work remotely, it is the same with appropriate shipping fees, which are usually around $5.

Our events can also range from $50-$150 per hour, depending on the attendance. We do offer discounts for not-for-profits and charities.

Which typewriter is your favorite?

It's a tie between Jan and Jessica. You'll need to meet them to learn who they are!