Press Release
Poetry Downtown Celebrates Edgar Allan Poe with a Four-City Festival
This year, Poetry Downtown proudly honors the literary legacy of Edgar Allan Poe with an exciting four-city celebration. The festival will unfold across Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, each city offering its own unique blend of poetry, performance, and community engagement.
Ultimate Typewriter Showdown: A Test of Skill and Speed
One of the festival’s most anticipated events, the Ultimate Typewriter Showdown, will take place each night from 10 to 11 PM in Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. In New York, this lively competition will be held aboard the Poetry Train from 5 to 6 PM. Over the course of three days, 16 players per city will put their speed, accuracy, and typewriting skills to the test, battling it out to become America’s ultimate typewriter champion.
Keyboard Warriors
– Boston September 27 from 10 till 11 pm no player yet
– New York September 28 from 5 till 6 pm
1. Erik van Loon
2. Charissa Collazo
3. Jonathan Kay
4. Pierce Logan
– Philadelphia September 28 from 10 till 11 pm
1. Erik van Loon
2. Len Schaffer
– Baltimore September 29 from 10 till 11 pm
1. Erik van Loon
2. Nicholas Roher
One Rule
In this tournament, the keyboard warriors must follow just one rule: everything is allowed, except touching your opponent, their typewriter, table, or chair.
Edgar Allan Poe Poem
The 16 keyboardwarriors will play a bracket tournament of max 4 rounds and together they will type 2 complete Edgar Allan Poe poems.
first round:
– 8 rounds of each 2 players will type each one stanza of The Raven. In the first round they will type 8 stanza’s together
second round:
– 4 rounds of each 2 players will type each one stanza of the Raven. in the second round they will type 4 stanza’s together
third round:
– 2 rounds of each 2 players will type each two stanzas of the Raven. In the third round they will type 4 stanza’s together
fourth round:
– final round of 2 players will type a stanza of the Raven. In the fourth round they will type 2 stanza’s together
Winner
– The Ultimate Typewriter Showdown Champion will type his name under the poem.
All players will be credited at the poem they wrote together.
The Raven
By Edgar Allan Poe
Typed out by the following 8 players
The winner will type his or her name beneath the poem, and it will be signed by Erik van Loon to certify its authenticity. Additionally, Erik van Loon will type his name and sign the poems of the runners-up as well.
A Rich Cultural Experience Across Four Cities
As the 4th Poetry Downtown Festival kicks off, we invite you to experience the rich tapestry of events planned in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. This year’s festival lineup features 12 unique dishes, four poetry readings, four thought-provoking lectures, three poetry cycles, three Ultimate Typewriter Showdowns, one talk show, and an exclusive radio play. Poets will travel aboard the Poetry Train, journeying between cities and towns across eight states, from Boston to Baltimore. This affordable and unique experience is designed to foster networking and collaboration among poets, creating connections across twenty different cities and towns.
Poetry Train: A Vision for the Future
Erik van Loon, the visionary behind Poetry Downtown, has ambitious plans to lease a dedicated Poetry Train by 2025. This train will feature restaurant, sleeper, disco, bar, and library cars, providing a fully immersive experience for poets and festival-goers alike. This year, Erik aims to welcome 40 poets aboard the Poetry Train, further expanding this one-of-a-kind festival. Support Erik’s American dream and help unite the country through the power of poetry by visiting Poetry Downtown’s crowdfunding page for more information on how to become a sponsor.
Sponsor
Sponsor of the Ultimate Typewriter Showdown is Cambridge Typewriter Co
More info:
4th Poetry Downtown Festival
Erik van Loon
+316 E VAN LOON / +316 3 826 5666
www.poetrydowntown.com
Poetrydowntownfestival@gmail.com
