What began as a playful idea among friends has made its way around the world, inspiring laughter, high-fives, hugs, and tears from New England to Brazil. Typewriter Rodeo celebrates poetry, spontaneity, and above all, the power of human connection. Both a visual feast and a reference book in the style of Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York, Typewriter Rodeo collects custom, typewritten poems from "rodeos" worldwide, portraits of recipients, and their personal stories. Typewriter Rodeo began in Austin, Texas, when four poets brought their typewriters to a maker fair and began offering spontaneous, custom-composed poems to an enthusiastic crowd. The event quickly blossomed and rodeos began popping up all over the world.

Members of the Typewriter Rodeo will set up shop in the Atheneum Garden on Friday and Saturday of our Festival weekend, typing custom poems for free (but donations are encouraged and appreciated).