![Haikuists team at an event team](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Screenshot_2023-06-25_at_9.52.01_PM.png?v=1687744333&width=480)
Where We Started & Where We’re Going
We founded Haikuists ten years ago by complete accident. In an attempt to meet and interview New York City’s self-starters and entrepreneurs, we brought our vintage typewriters and the FREE HAIKU concept to connect with passers-by on a Brooklyn street corner.
We booked our first event right there on the sidewalk. During our first official event, we booked our second. Soon our third was coming up. At that point, we knew we were onto something promising.
What we found was this: writing free poetry for people brings them immense joy. It's incredible how most people are willing to share a brief view into their world, and wait a few minutes for a complete stranger to encapsulate the moment with a powerful three-lined poem. Their reactions are always priceless–– laughter, tears, hugs––and further inspiration is never far behind: folks celebrate their poems by framing them, displaying them on their wall or mirror, or even having their haiku tattooed!
Fast forward ten years later: we’ve expanded to twenty five major cities, and have a roster of over one hundred poets, each equipped with vintage typewriters and ready to write personalized haiku poetry for guests at events. We’ve had the pleasure of writing at hundreds of events a year, and we can tell you with absolute confidence that haiku is for everyone and any occasion.
Thank you for joining us on this journey!
Meet the Haikuists
Our roster of incredible poets, each with a unique story and a passion for writing.![Erick Szentmiklosy](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/erick_headshot.jpg?v=1694734923&width=480)
Erick Szentmiklosy
![Leah Clancy](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Leah_Clancy.png?v=1694731845&width=480)
Leah Clancy
![Daniel Zaltsman](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/daniel_zaltsman_headshot_97071e58-163a-4e32-a529-d25f57f58288.jpg?v=1710556908&width=480)
Daniel Zaltsman
![Michelle Nieweg](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Michelle_Nieweg.jpg?v=1694732091&width=480)
Michelle Nieweg
![Headshot of Jessica O'Brien](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Headshot_of_Jessica_O_Brien.jpg?v=1695499023&width=480)
Jessica O'Brien
![Fani Avramopoulou](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Avramopoulou_Fani.jpg?v=1694732082&width=480)
Fani Avramopoulou
![Megan Mandrachio](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Megan_Mandrachio.jpg?v=1694733696&width=480)
Megan Mandrachio
![Sahina Jerome](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Sahina_Jerome_Headshot.jpg?v=1694731682&width=480)
Sahina Jerome
![Allen Feldman](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Allen_Feldman_Headshot.jpg?v=1694733169&width=480)
Allen Feldman
![Angie Lee](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Angie_Lee.jpg?v=1694732107&width=480)
Angie Lee
![Paasha Motamedi](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/PAASHA__MOTAMEDI.jpg?v=1694733700&width=480)
Paasha Motamedi
![Noah Moss](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Noah_Moss.jpg?v=1694733697&width=480)
Noah Moss
![Michael Lopez](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Michael_Lopez.jpg?v=1694732108&width=480)
Michael Lopez
![Francesca Leader](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Francesca_Leader.jpg?v=1694732103&width=480)
Francesca Leader
![Melissa Word](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Melissa_Word_Studio-69.jpg?v=1694732127&width=480)
Melissa Word
![Nicholas Warholak](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Nicholas_Warholak.png?v=1694732126&width=480)
Nicholas Warholak
![Jason Brazil](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Jason_Brazil.jpg?v=1694732110&width=480)
Jason Brazil
![Kay Kro](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Kay__Kro__Kroger.png?v=1694732132&width=480)
Kay Kro
![Savannah Guenthner](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Savannah_Guenthner.jpg?v=1694732107&width=480)
Savannah Guenthner
![Michael Skib](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Michael_Skib.jpg?v=1694732128&width=480)
Michael Skib
![Vanessa Golenia](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Vanessa_Golenia_Headshot.jpg?v=1694732107&width=480)
Vanessa Golenia
![Dylan Tran](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Dylan_Tran_-_Headshot.jpg?v=1694732133&width=480)
Dylan Tran
![Tom Kubik](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Tom_Kubik.jpg?v=1694732110&width=480)
Tom Kubik
![Max Durbin](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Max_Durbin.jpg?v=1694732109&width=480)
Max Durbin
![Erin Brophy](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Erin_Brophy_006.jpg?v=1694732100&width=480)
Erin Brophy
![KL Landin](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/KL_Landin.jpg?v=1694732084&width=480)
KL Landin
![Brian Calvert](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Brian_Calvert_1_copy.jpg?v=1710556955&width=480)
Brian Calvert
![Alison Mandible](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Alison_Mandible.png?v=1694733172&width=480)
Alison Mandible
![Chloe Wong](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Chloe_Wong.png?v=1694733181&width=480)
Chloe Wong
![Sara Gomez](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Sara_Gomez.png?v=1694733179&width=480)
Sara Gomez
![Kamila Washington](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Kamila_S.Washington.heic?v=1694733177&width=480)
Kamila Washington
![Alison Tugwell](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Alison-Tugwell.jpg?v=1694733176&width=480)
Alison Tugwell
![Nicholas "Quazzy" Herd](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Nicholas__Quazzy__Herd.jpg?v=1694733175&width=480)
Nicholas "Quazzy" Herd
![Molly Gorelick](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Molly_Gorelick.jpg?v=1694733174&width=480)
Molly Gorelick
![Connor McInerney](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Connor_McInerney_headshot.heic?v=1694733174&width=480)
Connor McInerney
![Jalynn Harris](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/JalynnHarris.jpg?v=1694733172&width=480)
Jalynn Harris
![Seth Bodine](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/bodine_headshot.jpg?v=1694733170&width=480)
Seth Bodine
![Sage Heqwabti](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/D_Andre__Sage__McMillan.jpg?v=1694733169&width=480)
Sage Heqwabti
![Alexandra Valdez](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Alexandra_Valdez_Headshot_1_copy.jpg?v=1710556904&width=480)
Alexandra Valdez
![Patrick Cody-Carrese](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Patrick_Cody-Carrese.jpg?v=1694733699&width=480)
Patrick Cody-Carrese
![Emi Smith](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Emi_Smith.jpg?v=1694733699&width=480)
Emi Smith
![Kate Humphrey](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Kate_Humphrey.jpg?v=1694733699&width=480)
Kate Humphrey
![Peter Hornung](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Peter_Hornung.jpg?v=1694733693&width=480)
Peter Hornung
![Kaylen Ralph](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Kaylen_Ralph.jpg?v=1694733686&width=480)
Kaylen Ralph
![Angel Bautista](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Angel_Bautista.heic?v=1694733686&width=480)
Angel Bautista
![Jordan Colton](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Jordan_Colton_1_copy.jpg?v=1710556903&width=480)
Jordan Colton
![Evan Sokolowski](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Evan_Sokolowski_1_copy.jpg?v=1710556903&width=480)
Evan Sokolowski
![Ezra Zhang](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Ezra_Zhang.jpg?v=1694733680&width=480)
Ezra Zhang
![Anna Feldman](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Anna_Feldman_Headshot.jpg?v=1694733674&width=480)
Anna Feldman
![Tomás Riegos](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Tomas_Riegos.jpg?v=1694733672&width=480)
Tomás Riegos
![Carolyn Hersey](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Carolyn_Hersey_1_copy_afb1e638-5980-42b3-a8b9-ea3530cd72d7.jpg?v=1710556903&width=480)
Carolyn Hersey
![Michael Baruch](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Michael_Baruch_Headshot.jpg?v=1694734922&width=480)
Michael Baruch
![Brett Bergstrom](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Brett_Bergstrom_Headshot.jpg?v=1694733676&width=480)
Brett Bergstrom
![Kyle Huneau](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Kyle_Huneau.jpg?v=1694733677&width=480)
Kyle Huneau
![Simone Sullivan](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Simone_Sullivan.heic?v=1694733675&width=480)
Simone Sullivan
![Arella Reyes](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Arella.jpg?v=1694733672&width=480)
Arella Reyes
![Abraham Guevara](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Abe_Headshot.jpg?v=1694734923&width=480)
Abraham Guevara
![Headshot of LEJAN Joshua Deocariza](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Headshot_of_LEJAN_Joshua_Deocariza.jpg?v=1695498999&width=480)
Lejan Deocariza
![Headshot of Seth Kopchu](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Headshot_of_Seth_Kopchu.jpg?v=1695499036&width=480)
Seth Kopchu
![Zachary Lynch](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Zachary_Mychal.heic?v=1709172126&width=480)
Zachary Lynch
![Max Stossel](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Max_Stossel.jpg?v=1694733676&width=480)
Max Stossel
![Headshot of Rae Niwa](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Headshot_of_Rae_Niwa.jpg?v=1695499048&width=480)
Rae Niwa
![Emily Mothersbaugh](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Emily_Mothersbaugh_2126.jpg?v=1694734927&width=480)
Emily Mothersbaugh
![Rachel Dindy](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Rachel_Dindy.jpg?v=1694734926&width=480)
Rachel Dindy
![Iain Watson](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Iain_Watson.jpg?v=1694734926&width=480)
Iain Watson
![Demyia Browning](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Demyia_Browning.png?v=1694734925&width=480)
Demyia Browning
![Caroline Hayes](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Caroline_Hayes_headshot.jpg?v=1694734925&width=480)
Caroline Hayes
![EJ Schwartz](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/EJ_Schwartz.jpg?v=1694734925&width=480)
EJ Schwartz
![Christoph Jenkins](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Christoph_Jenkins_1_copy.jpg?v=1710556903&width=480)
Christoph Jenkins
![Caroline Preziosi](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Caroline_Preziosi.jpg?v=1694734924&width=480)
Caroline Preziosi
![Hannah Tokuno](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/HannahTokuno_Headshot.poet.jpg?v=1694732106&width=480)
Hannah Tokuno
![Christina Stock](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Christina_Stock.jpg?v=1694734922&width=480)
Christina Stock
![Samantha Wallen](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/Samantha_Wallen_Headshot.jpg?v=1694734922&width=480)
Samantha Wallen
![Sarah Pollock](http://haikuists.com/cdn/shop/files/SarahPollockheadshot.jpg?v=1709172027&width=480)