Why I Chose a Typewriter Poetry Business in the AI Age
- Brainz Magazine
- Jan 19
- 3 min read
Written by Pierce Logan, Founder
Pierce D. Logan can be found wielding poetry on a typewriter for strangers. He is a former educator and has several publications in various literary journals.
People crave to be seen, to be heard, and to feel that their experiences matter, not just as data, but as lived, tangible moments.
Poetry has always existed in that visceral space, but typing on a typewriter adds a certain charm and an unexpected layer of trust. Behind the machine, a poem is created in real time, for real people, capturing feelings and memories that linger long after the last word is typed. This is a practice where art, attention, and memory converge, and where even brief encounters can feel transformative.
In the following piece, I reflect on what happens when strangers trust you with their stories, the role of human presence in a world at its inflection point with AI technologies, and why the value of a moment cannot be digitized.
What is a moment worth today?
People come to me for therapy and do not even know it. They do not realize it until we are talking about their fondest memories, their hopes and dreams, sometimes even their deepest secrets. Something about being behind a typewriter opens a special space for people to slow down, reconnect with what matters, and truly open up.
I will never forget the time I was commissioned to write a poem for a young woman who had recently reconnected with her father, who had been abducted. Or being enlisted to type for a young man as part of a planned proposal to his then-girlfriend at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
What poetry has always captured, and what AI is not built for, is the significance of a moment.
I want to be clear: I am not anti-AI. In fact, AI tools are integrated into my business. Being for or against it is not the point. I like to think my business thrives because AI exists, but more on that later.
What is the value of analog technologies?
What typewriter poetry offers is the value of a moment. Value that the clack of the keys makes permanent as you sit and wait for your poem. Value that continues as you listen to words that capture exactly how you felt ten years ago when you got married. Value that stays with you as you place your framed, personalized poem in your living room. Value that remains in your heart long after the event at which you requested it is over.
I do not believe technology could ever get in the way of this. Consider:
Vinyl resurged after Spotify
Film photography resurged after iPhone cameras
Handwritten letters resurged after email
The analog poetry thrives because the digital prevails
QWERT thrives because AI exists. Nothing could ever replace these conversations that stir the human spirit, those that get people talking at yet another corporate holiday party.
These moments we share together, captured by a simple printing machine, are what make a typewriter poetry business thrive.
May we never forget what is important to us: the feelings we want pressed into ink, a past to heal from, a hope to grow with, and a shared moment to truly feel seen.
If you are ready to inspire your guests, colleagues, clients, or even family members, get in touch to schedule a call to host a poet at your next gathering.
Read more from Pierce Logan
Pierce Logan, Founder
Pierce D. Logan, founder of QWERT Poetry, LLC, is a solopreneur who commissions personalized poems on a manual typewriter for strangers at special events and through partnerships. Throughout the past decade of exploring people's special moments during these poetry sessions, Pierce has learned that all humans have a distinct need to be witnessed and listened to. QWERT Poetry allows him to channel others' words into a timeless keepsake that we see ourselves in.
