Category Archives: QWERTY
Tea’s Weird Week: I Love Central Library (and a last call for help in QWERTYFEST fundraising)
Last month, I penned a piece for the Shepherd Express titled “A Love Letter to American Science & Surplus,” which was about the unique store’s fundraiser to stay in business (I’m glad to say they’ve since met their goal and are close to meeting a stretch goal). It felt good to write about a place that I think is great, so with QWERTYFEST MKE 2025 fundraising wrapping up, I wanted to say something about another place I love: Milwaukee Central Library.
We are going to be hosting QWERTYFEST presentations, workshops, and a library tour there on Saturday, October 4 and I could not be more thrilled to be there and to have our festival attendees check it out. Central Library is like a cathedral to me, and it looks the part. I can’t wait for QWERTYFEST guests who haven’t been there to see the rotunda lobby. It is just stunning.
I appreciate Central’s resources greatly. I’ve written five non-fiction books and an unknown number of articles and many research materials for that work have come from there. Being on a pretty thin budget, I’ve been able to borrow almost anything I’ve needed. When I was 20 and interested in listening to classic Blues music, I checked out a bunch of CDs from Central. It was nice to go somewhere to get out of the house but without needing to spend money. When I wanted to read collections of superhero comics while researching Heroes in the Night, they had them. More recently, when I wrote an article on the history of Serb Hall for Milwaukee Magazine, the library’s online newspaper database archive was the key to getting that article done.
I’ve been working a lot on the presentation/workshop line-up a lot this week and it’s a wonderful mix of librarians, typewriter aficionados, poets, mystery novelists, artists, and other interesting characters. It’s everything I hoped QWERTYFEST would be. We’ll be announcing that lineup soon (just got to confirm a couple things) at: www.qwertyfest.com
We are offering all these talks and workshops for FREE. Your support can help us make it happen by supporting our last call for our fundraiser, it is closing in the next couple days. Every little bit helps us fund QWERTYFEST programming: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/qwertyfest-mke-2025#/
You can also contact us about fundraising/ sponsorship at: qwertyfestmke@gmail.com
I hope I might see you there at one of my favorite places on earth, Central Library.
Tea’s Weird Week: I’m Looking for View-Masters
I got an idea I’m working on, possibly somewhere at QWERTYFEST MKE or a QF related event– a View-Master Theater, where there are maybe 6 or 8 stereoscopes (View-Master is the popular brand name) that people can scope (sorry for the pun) out.
If you’re not familiar, View-Master is a little device, usually red plastic, that you put a reel disc in, then you look into it and advance through the photos with a lever. I used to enjoy them as a kid and they still make them. The first View-Master was marketed in 1939 and it grew in popularity throughout the decades that followed. Companies made reels based on everything from nature to travel to pop culture.
This idea was spun because I discovered some classic reels related to Milwaukee and Wisconsin, there’s one that shows some famous spots around the state and another that looks like it’s maybe from the 70s with slides from the Milwaukee County Zoo, and another for the Domes (and there’s probably others out there, too). I guess what I’m saying is that I’m low key collecting View-Masters and reels.
I’m especially interested in:
-Anything related to Wisconsin.
-Sci fi/ horror/ fantasy/ super heroes
-1940s-1980s travel/ spotlights on cities or countries
-Music/ bands
-Anything weird, of course
-Not looking for: Disney (they made TONS of reels) or pop culture post-80s
If you got ones you’re willing to part with or sell on the cheap, I’m interested. The’ll go to a good home and I intend to share them with others. E-mail me: teakrulos@gmail.com
Please Clap Dept. Speaking of QWERTYFEST, we’re entering the final stretch of fundraising. Every little bit helps, so please donate (and get some great perks in exchange) to help us make it happen: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/qwertyfest-mke-2025#/
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Tea’s Weird Week: QWERTYFEST MKE 2024 is going to be epic, but we need your help to fundraise it
Hey all, last year me and Molly Snyder launched a new entry in the “City of Festivals” (Milwaukee) called QWERTYFEST MKE, which celebrates writing, innovation, history, creativity… and, of course, typewriters. This year we have ambitious plans for a bigger event. We’re doing an opening night party at Turner Hall (with the Boston Typewriter Orchestra), and presentations and activities throughout the weekend. To help finance this, we’ve set up an Indiegogo fundraiser. Lots of great perks, including QF tickets, t-shirts, and subscriptions to our in-house zine, QWERTY Quarterly. As of right now, we’re at about 30% funded– I’d love to see that bump up to 50% funded by the end of this weekend. The link to that: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/qwertyfest-mke-2024/
Below the photo, you can find a press release with more info on QF and our fundraiser screening of California Typewriter on June 6. Thanks for your support!
Clack on! QWERTYFEST MKE Returns for Expanded Event June 21-23, 2024
QWERTYFEST MKE is inspired by an invention that changed the world–the typewriter and the QWERTY keyboard that we still use today– which was created right here in Milwaukee by Christopher Latham Sholes. We not only celebrate the typewriter and all iterations of the QWERTY keyboard that followed, but Milwaukee history and innovation in general.
We are also excited to give a platform to writers of all genres who create works on those QWERTY keyboards. Milwaukee has many talented writers and artists, and we want you to know about them. QWERTYFEST is co-organized by Milwaukee writers Molly Snyder (senior writer and editor at OnMilwaukee) and Tea Krulos (a freelance journalist and author). Many other local writers, librarians, artists, organizations, and businesses participate to make the festival happen.
At QWERTYFEST, you can try out typewriters and other writing machines, hear spoken word and presentations, participate in workshops, see unique musical performances (including our Friday night headliner, Boston Typewriter Orchestra), socialize at gatherings like our Typewriter Brunch Open Jam, and much more. It is an entertaining and informative weekend.
QWERTYFEST MKE 2024
Thursday, June 6: QWERTYFEST MKE fundraiser screening of the documentary California Typewriter at Oriental Theatre. We’re thrilled for people to see this film as it shows the versatile ways people can celebrate typewriters (in addition to Tom Hanks, Milwaukee makes a guest appearance, too). Ticket holders also get a free copy of our summer QWERTYFEST preview edition of our in-house publication QWERTY Quarterly. Tickets available here: https://mkefilm.org/oriental-theatre/events/california-typewriter
Friday, June 21: National Typewriter Day Ball at Turner Hall. This will feature live music with headlining guests the Boston Typewriter Orchestra: http://www.bostontypewriterorchestra.com/
There’s also interactive writing and mailing stations, the DarkFusion Systems Gaming Lounge, vendors, a dramatic competition called the Clackathon (as well as a words-per-minute contest called the Quick Brown Fox Typing Contest), storytelling, food and drink, and more.
Saturday, June 22: QWERTYFEST at Mitchell Street Arts. Workshops and presentations on typewriters, writing and creativity, history, and art. We are having a “Whisky Type” after party at Great Lakes Distillery.
Sunday, June 23: QWERTYFEST Activities Day. Typewriter Brunch Open Jam (location TBA), “QWERTY Journey” tour at Forest Home Cemetery, and other activities around town TBA.
We Are Fundraising to Make QWERTYFEST Happen Right Now
As you can imagine, flying in a Boston Typewriter Orchestra, as well as paying for work by local writers, artists, musicians, venue fees, (and typewriter ribbons) adds up. We have these methods of raising money:
Crowdsourcing campaign on Indiegogo. Every little bit helps to make our fundraising goal. We are offering some great perks, including tickets, T-shirts, QQ subscriptions, and more. Our campaign is live here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/qwertyfest-mke-2024/x/14628551
You can also make a tax-deductible donation to us via a fiscal sponsor. Please email us for more info.
Sponsorships. We have great sponsorship opportunities, including name attachment to elements of our event, ads in our media, banner placement, free tickets, and more. Please email us for more info.
Links/ contact
Contact us at: qwertyfestmke@gmail.com
Website: www.qwertyfest.com
Facebook: facebook.com/qwertyfest
Instagram: instagram.com/qwertyfest_mke
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Tea’s Weird Week: If you Don’t Buy QWERTY, you Might End up Feeling Butt-hurty
I think you can see from that column title how I’ve won three Excellence in Journalism Awards. Oh, c’mon, it’s a good one! Well, what can I say– there’s so much great stuff happening with QWERTYFEST MKE, it’s hard to even keep track of it all. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a weekend long event set up by me and my co-organizer Molly Snyder, happening June 23-25 to celebrate Milwaukee as birthplace of the typewriter and QWERTY keyboard.
Molly has a great breakdown of the event, including schedule and ticket links HERE. Our fundraiser is trying to meet our new stretch goal HERE.
One aspect of the event I’m quite proud of is our official QWERTYFEST publication, QWERTY Quarterly. It’s a zine/ lit journal that features articles, poems, art, columns, fiction, fun pages, and ads from our wonderful sponsors, plus a full fest schedule. Me and Molly are editors, Alicia Krupsky is art director and designer (she also created our logo and “beer and typewriters” design). Peter Burzynski is poetry editor.
The goal here is to keep people engaged with the event year round and showcase work by great writers and artists here in the Milwaukee/ Midwest area. Our next issue will be out Sept. 1. Our Facebook page is HERE.
Here’s ways you can get a copy:
-We’ll be tabling with it outside of Woodland Pattern this Sunday, June 11 at Locust Street Festival.
-It’ll be available throughout our events at QWERTYFEST MKE June 23-25.
-It’s available at Lion’s Tooth, Studio Moonfall (Kenosha), and will soon be available at Woodland Pattern and Quimby’s (Chicago).
-You can get the first issue and a subscription to the next three issue by buying a QWERTYFEST ALL CAPS Pass.
-You can buy a four issue subscription (or a single issue) anywhere in the world and have it mailed directly to you via our Etsy site: www.etsy.com/shop/qwertyquarterly
Please Clap Dept.: The Tea’s Weird Week podcast returns soon!
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My eBook Chicago Mothman: A History and Cultural Study of a Monster Case is available on Kindle now: https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Mothman-History-Cultural-Monster-ebook/dp/B0BZY598JX/ref=sr_1_3
Tea’s Weird Week: I’m Here to Chew Bubble Gum and Kick Ass, but also Announce a Paranormal Conference Date, Burn a Bӧӧgg, and Solicit Funds for a Typewriter Festival
Sorry about that column title, but it has been a helluva week. Let’s talk about it.
Milwaukee Paranormal Conference dates announced! Here’s the breakdown: Friday, October 13– Friday the 13th Fest opening night party (venue TBA cause I haven’t found one yet).
Saturday, October 14– our main conference day returns to our roots at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center (ICHC). It’s a beautiful building (and haunted! Allison Jornlin wrote about the ghosts of the ICHC HERE) that will be filled with guest speakers and vendors. American Ghost Walks is sponsoring this so there will be free admission, just register for your tickets here: milwaukeeparacon.com
Sunday, October 15 will be our Activities Day, featuring a Witches Faire, tours, and more special fun stuff. Follow us on Facebook or sign up for the American Ghost walks newsletter for the freshest news on MPC23.
Burn the Bӧӧgg! My latest article for Atlas Obscura is about a Swiss snowman (called a Bӧӧgg) burning ritual, a version of which I got to witness in New Glarus, Wisconsin. This article is part of a larger series that rolled out this week at Atlas Obscura, “Rites of Spring.” The entire series is of interest.
You can read my article on here: www.atlasobscura.com/articles/burning-snowman-boogg-sechselauten-switzerland-new-glarus
QWERTYFEST MKE! In my last TWW column, I mentioned QWERTYFEST MKE, a new festival that I’m co-organizing with Molly Snyder, with help from a bunch of local writers, artists, teachers. There’s a lot going on and it’s kinda hard to report on it from the eye of the storm, but there’s lots of great things happening with the event. We’re happy with the variety found in the event schedule and I’m really excited about our tie-in publication, QWERTY Quarterly, which will help promote the event but also features short articles, poetry, fiction, and art by local talent. I told Molly the vibe of the publication is a little bit “typewriter zine meets the New Yorker.“
On Thursday, we had 18 various writers meet up at The Bindery (a great local creative print lab) for a promotional letter writing session. We typed out letters to local media, organizations, and individuals. It was a fun energy, a big thank you to everyone who helped out.
Right now, our biggest challenge is getting word out, and fundraising donations and ticket sales– we’re trying to make our expenses for this year as well as having some money in the bank to pay deposits for 2024. So if you’re reading this, please consider throwing in some money so we can make this event happen. We want to celebrate Milwaukee history as well as showcase the incredible contemporary talent this city has. We just need to raise some money to do it.
Tickets: milwaukeekrampusnacht.ticketbud.com/qwertyfest-mke
Fundraiser page: www.indiegogo.com/projects/qwertyfest-mke
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Thanks to those that attended my storytelling session at Lion’s Tooth. I audio recorded the event, which you can listen on Podbean//Spotify//Soundcloud//Google Podcasts//iHeartRadio//PlayerFM//Apple//Stitcher//Pocket Casts
My eBook Chicago Mothman: A History and Cultural Study of a Monster Case is available on Kindle now: https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Mothman-History-Cultural-Monster-ebook/dp/B0BZY598JX/ref=sr_1_3
teakrulos.com 