At the Christiansburg Farmers Market in the recreation center parking lot, Mark Peterson will put together a simple poem about individuals while they wait.
The Christiansburg man, who has been an active street poet since 2016, brings his 1941 Royal Aristocrat typewriter to the market where he will be a regular fixture for most of the season.
“I have written poems since I was a child, but probably only began to take it seriously in college,” Peterson said. “Before college, the poems I wrote were mostly silly, or cheesy poems for girlfriends, and those skills are still valuable for street poetry.”
Now he uses poetry personally as a way to take a snapshot of a moment, a feeling, or an idea, and condense it as tightly as possible, so that it can be revisited later with just as much clarity and force.
This idea of being a street poet and using a typewriter to do it came to him from watching a Washington, D.C., “typewriter rodeo” in person.
“My first event was a lot of fun, and I surprised myself with the poems I produced so I kept doing it,” Peterson said.
He has appeared at numerous events at which individuals have stopped by, answered a few questions, and had a poem produced about them.
“I provide a unique keepsake for you, or a gift for you to give to a friend, which is personalized. Sometimes I can also provide a laugh, or a tear. It depends on the topic you choose and whether inspiration strikes me just right,” Peterson said.
The poem is a first draft as he calls it, created on the spot in mere minutes. Some are brilliant and others are not, but usually he works for tips so if individuals don’t like their poems, they don’t have to leave a tip. If, however, the poem catches their fancy, they might want to be generous.
Peterson feels it’s good to get typewriters out in the public eye for people to enjoy watching and listening to—the tat, tat, tat of the old keys hitting paper.
While he loves his 1941 Royal Aristocrat, it isn’t always his go-to tool of choice.
“I use whichever typewriter suits my mood when I am packing up my things the morning of the event,” he said.
Typically, he takes at least two and sometimes three machines with him.
“Part of the reason is so I can change machines out to keep myself entertained and feeling fresh, but also it is nice to have back-ups if there is a mechanical issue I can’t fix on the spot,” Peterson said.
Sometimes he chooses flashy machines for street poetry, ones with fun colors or that have a lot of chrome, or machines with historical significance or cool typefaces.
He has about 140 working typewriters at his house and another 50 or so that are parts or project machines.
The poems he writes goes to the individuals themselves. He will ask one or two questions on a certain topic, and then type it out.
“It is hard to write about a person or pet I don’t know, but I can write about loss or love or things that we all can relate to,” Peterson said. “Art comes with a sense of intimacy, and that’s part of the fun of it, but remember that I am a stranger and I don’t have the same friends and family that you do,.
“I can write about any topic, and will, but suggest avoiding sex, religion, or politics unless you are a risk taker,” Peterson said. “You will get a poem based on my own experience and perspective. The worst thing you can ask me to write about is ‘whatever you want. It’s a poem for you about whatever you want, and I need that kernel to build an idea around so I can write you a poem.”
Some of his work appears online at: http://www.totallyyourtype.com.
For more information about Peterson and his poetry, visit him near the farmers market information tent in the parking lot of the Christiansburg Recreation Center.
