Verba ab aliis locis.
Words from other places.
I set up a manual typewriter, ask what's on your heart, and write a poem for you or someone you love, right there on the spot. Then I sign it, stamp it, and put it in the mail.
Virginia This Morning
Bryan Austin
Bryan Austin is a storyteller, performer, and writer whose work lives at the intersection of history, myth, and the quiet spaces of the human heart. Over the past decade, he has brought stories to life for audiences ranging from Supreme Court justices and attorney generals to thousands of students across the country, collaborating with leading museums to create immersive, original theatrical experiences.
His work has been featured in TIME Magazine and The New York Times, where critics have called his performances "some of the most innovative theatre happening in America." His career in professional theatre has spanned Shakespeare, puppetry, acrobatics, trapeze, and arts education initiatives for underserved communities and individuals experiencing incarceration.
In print
Paper Stars
Bryan's debut poetry collection. The same voice you'll find at the typewriter, bound and ready to keep.
Find it on AmazonWhat readers are saying
"...one of the best poets I have ever read."
Brianna Winning"Brilliant and breathtaking poetry for all of us..."
Lisa M. Hopp"...one of the best books of poetry I've ever read."
Fayelle Ewuakye"A beautiful and diverse collection, from the whimsical to the haunting..."
BrkayakHow a poem gets made
You reach out
Choose a package below and tell me a little about who this is for.
You share your heart
A memory, a name, a feeling: whatever needs saying. That's all I need.
I write it live
On a manual typewriter, in one pass, with the moment recorded for you.
It arrives by mail
Signed, stamped, and ready to give, or keep for yourself.
Services & pricing
Every poem is written once, live, with no drafts and no do-overs. Each package below is a secure checkout: pay first, then tell me about your poem in the same step.
The Mailed Poem
$60Tell me a bit about the person and moment you have in mind. From that, I write your poem live on the typewriter and read it aloud on video, so you get to watch it come together. You'll receive that video by email, and the poem itself arrives by mail: hand-typed onto 5×7 linen cardstock, signed, and stamped.
Commission this poem Need it faster? Expedited (1–3 business days), $80 →The Live Session
$120A 30-minute video call where the two of us talk, and that conversation becomes the poem, written live while we're on the call. It's the closest you can get to catching Bryan out in the wild: real time, unscripted, often a bit of catharsis along the way. Your poem ships the very next business day.
Book & pay for your sessionSigned & Typed Poem
$30One of the existing poems, typed on the machine and signed. A few reader favorites are just below, or ask for something else entirely.
Order this poemA few of the most requested
- The Queen of Flowers For the person who makes an ordinary room feel tended, and a little bit in bloom.
- Familiar Little Stranger For someone who feels like home and mystery in the same breath.
- Once More Into the Furrow About beginning again, on purpose, and with your whole chest.
- That Girl Who Twirled For someone who moves through the world like she's already celebrating.
Available as a Signed & Typed Poem for $30. Just tell me which one when you order.
Watch & follow
A few moments from the road: Merchants Square, bookshops, and strangers hearing their poem for the first time.
Ready to commission a poem?
Pick a package above. Payment and your story happen in the same secure step, no separate form to fill out. You'll get a confirmation right after you pay, and I'll follow up personally from there.