Typewriting poet fosters connection in Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— Local typewriting poet Simon Kiefer is making a difference one letter at a time.
“People are looking to be seen, and that's what I do with my poetry. I see them, and I interact with them and I find out what's going on in their life, what they might need. I often see people who are on the edge of change and they'd like some kind of reassurance that things are going to be okay,” said Kiefer.
With baby Aryan on the way, Nimrah and Juan Salcedo hold Kiefer’s words close to their hearts.
“Aryan, floating in a calm, loving sea of tranquility. This fine shade of baby blue pastel blue. Juan and Nimrah eagerly await you with open arms. In open arms Oh! the surprise you will bring and the joys you will spread far and wide,” read Juan Salcedo, who is visiting from the Bay Area.
The couple sees the beauty in having a stranger capture a moment in time that they can cherish forever.
“I'm not very artistic. I'm not very poetic at all. She's [Nimrah’s] the one that's more artistic and poetic. She reads a lot. But I just figure it's nice for someone to just come off with thoughts, you know, right off the top of their head. Just by looking at someone …. encapsulating, you know, their vibe or like their aura, what they’re feeling at the moment,” said Salcedo.
And though the moment may be fleeting, the words are permanent.
“ You're typing on a typewriter and it's your letters. Your words are you write on the paper. There's nothing in between. There's no spellcheck. I don't have any any messages popping up. It's just me and the typewriter,” said Kiefer.
It is this immediacy and finality of the typewriter that Kiefer says is a perfect metaphor for life.
“That's just the way we should live our lives, that we go forward with our lives and not try to backspace and correct, but rather just move on forward. And yes, reflect on on the lessons we've learned. But not to know, to go back and try to correct or perfect something, just keep writing,” said Kiefer.
Whether you’re enduring the heartache of grief or embarking on a new chapter of life, you can find a friend in Kiefer and comfort in his poetry every Tuesday on State Street.
