Part Two of An Adventure in Giving Away Typewriters, the story of giving away a typewriter to a Paper Blogging reader.

Who is going to win? I didn't want to disappoint anyone. Also, just based on the comments, I wanted to get a typewriter to Molly Ovenden in Minnesota because her answer was so spectacular. But I stuck to my stated method and pulled a name.

Entrants to the giveaway answered why they wanted the giveaway typewriter. Here is the entry from Molly Ovenden that got my attention:

Oh, wow! I would love this typewriter for so many reasons. Let me share a couple of them.
Firstly, I'm a typewriter poet—it's part of how I make a living as a writer. I've been writing poetry in public places on my typewriter since October 2022—on a Smith-Corona Classic 12. It's a stunning piece of machinery and so reliable. It's safely traveled with me to the UK and back. As I write more and more poetry and rely on my one typewriter very heavily for doing my work, it feels important to have a secondary one so that I don't ever have to cancel a gig because my one tool malfunctions. Very practical.
Secondly, this typewriter you've shared about is red. (Did you see my eyes light up and go a bit dreamy?) My wedding dress was red with white polka dots. I have two special pie plates that are red. And, my first published book poetry is, you guessed it: red! Very romantic.
Third, Michelle, you were one of the first people I wrote a poem for to be typed on my first typewriter, almost a year ago. It feels like a beautiful thing to carry on the legacy and know that a fellow typewriter poet loved and cared for this typewriter and that it will go into loving and caring, poetic hands! :) Very connected.

the second giveaway typewriter

As I shared in the previous post, I pulled the name of the winner and the original giveaway typewriter went to Sarah in Colorado.

And then, seemingly miraculously, up popped a second identical machine for sale online in Minnesota, where I was about to travel, and which was also Molly Ovenden’s home state.

It was meant to be.

So, after dramatically picking up the second red Galaxie machine just in time from Pink Elephant Vintage & Antique, I looked over the machine carefully and found it worked well.

The next day my husband, our oldest daughter whom we were visiting, and I, met up with Molly and her lovely mom, Maggie.

It was practically a party.

We met at The Indigo Tea Company's tea room in Burnsville, MN.

After hugs, greetings, conversation, and of course, tea, it was time to get the typewriter from the car and have the big reveal.

It didn’t disappoint. Case on the table, facing Molly, I opened the lid.

Hands to her face, she laughed, and half cried.

“It’s so beautiful!”

“Can you believe it? I found another one!”

Molly's mom Maggie, who is legally blind, listened with rapt attention as her daughter typed and assured me in her soft Minnesotan accent, "This typewriter sure is going to be used and enjoyed."

What a joy!

The Courage to Try Sparked by a Typewriter

There is a further layer to Molly's story that I didn't know until we met in person.

She wanted to be a typewriter poet twenty years before.

Negative comments from an important adult in her life shut her down but that desire did not go away. Then in the fall of 2022, Molly was gifted her first typewriter, and said, "Yes, I will try," to the dream of writing.

And here, near the exact anniversary of the first gift, this second typewriter was a very real encouragement to keep going.

The Inner Critic

Countering the inner and outer critic is a key part of the writing or art process (not to mention other aspects of life). Often when I don’t post here regularly, it’s because the inner critic has taken back the wheel of the bus I thought I was driving.

I was heartened to hear how a typewriter had helped Molly decide to write anyway.

Typewriter as ‘inner critic slayer’?

Yes. Chalk it up to the list of their many charms.

A year after first trying, Molly has regular poetry busking gigs where she writes poems in public, and has appeared on a local TV station, writing a poem during the news segment. She has written over 500 poems and begun the process of publishing a series of poetry books.

WHAT IS TYPEWRITER POETRY?

Typewriter poetry is usually an impromptu poem, written on a typewriter in response to a prompt. Imperfections and typos are a distinct possibility.

“Hey! I’m Molly Ovenden—I’d love to write you a poem!
Want a poem? Pick a topic. Pay for the service of your uniquely written and performed poem. I’ll write while you wait. You receive an original, framable typewritten poem to cherish as a keepsake.”

The Process and the Privilege

Now, several months later, Molly reflects:

I have loved the collaborative process of asking people questions to determine what they really want their poem to be about. I've found that when I can get specific with the recipient, it is more meaningful for them to receive a poem because it's more of an experience. I've also found that when the piece is specific, it makes it relatable to more people—a little counter-intuitive, but true.
It is such a privilege to write people poems—and, then it's an even prolonged privilege to produce books of poetry that people read and tell me things like, that poem you wrote about such and such, well that was exactly what I wanted to say for my speech at the wedding ... or, I read your book in the morning and your poems help me start the day really well ... or, I could listen to you read poetry all day!

And on the inner critic:

Despite writing for around 500 very-positively-impacted-people after only about a year of this, I still have bouts of hesitation and disbelief to accept the real value that my act of writing poetry has for my people. And, even though I can get discouraged or off track or accidentally turn the volume up on the past words that celebrated my rejection, I'm committed to (at the very least) producing this rainbow collection of poetry. The orange book is coming out soon—I just sent it to the printers this week.

Links, including how to request a poem!

Molly poetry busks regularly at Yellow Bike Coffee in Duluth, Minnesota, and Woodlore Cider in Brainerd, MN.

She also takes requests online .

Molly’s poetry busking, upcoming books, and where to see her live, including occasional appearances in the UK.
A poem typed for the local TV station.

Molly's mom, Maggie, is also an author.

You can check out her children’s books.
Or her brand new Substack.

That’s a Wrap

So, that is the story of the 2023 typewriter giveaway. It was a privilege to send off a typewriter to a reader in Colorado and to pass one along in person to Molly in Minnesota.

If you missed part one of this story, you can catch it here.

As intended, I didn’t fly home from Minnesota with a typewriter but with some wonderful memories. I did however buy a new teapot at the fantastic Indigo Tea Company Tearoom, ours having recently broken.

A red teapot, of course.