Hello from the Sunshine Typewriter Poets. My name is Rosa Sophia. I’m currently a candidate for an MFA in Creative Writing at Florida International University. I’m also a self-taught typewriter mechanic. (Visit Torque’s Garage for more information on typewriter repair, poetry, and more.)
The idea for this collective of poets and typewriter enthusiasts was born from my involvement with O, Miami Poetry Festival in Miami and Poet Fest in St. Augustine. In 2023, I repaired two typewriters for O, Miami, for use in their typewriter poetry events. O, Miami does absolutely incredible work creating interactive, engaging poetry events for the entire community. I was also thrilled to take part in an “Oil Change Poetry Workshop,” after which, a poem of mine was placed on an oil change sticker and used at a local garage. O, Miami brings poetry into the most unexpected of places.
Last April, for National Poetry Month, I joined my colleagues at Gulf Stream Literary Magazine (in 2023, I was the publications Poetry Editor) at Books & Books in Miami for an O, Miami “Meet the Poet” event. I brought my typewriter along, of course!
In the same month, I went up to St. Augustine for Poet Fest, where I had a chance to read some of my work and answer audience questions as part of a panel of writers.
Then, this year, in February, I cleaned and repaired typewriters for the Miami Book Fair. Those typewriters, plus four of my personal machines, went to the Butterfly Festival in Coconut Creek for a typewriter poetry event, and then back down south for another poem-on-demand event in Miami.
This month, I went to St. Augustine again for Poet Fest, this time bringing my typewriter and hosting an on-demand typewriter poetry event on Saturday, April 13. In the meantime, when I Googled “Florida typewriter poets,” I came up with a lot of results.
I thought to myself, “What if all of us could connect somehow?”
This collective, the Sunshine Typewriter Poets, is designed to do just that. In the future, I have ideas for workshops, craft talks, and even a literary magazine. The main goal: to build a community of people who love typewriters, poetry, and best of all, the two combined together!
Join us on our journey. It’s sure to be lots of fun.