”’Olivia Dodd”’ is an American [[poet]], actor, writer, playwright, and performance artist. She gained popularity on social media platforms due to the poetry she writes for strangers on a typewriter.
”’Olivia Dodd”’ is an American [[poet]], actor, writer, playwright, and performance artist. She gained popularity on social media platforms due to the poetry she writes for strangers on a typewriter.
== Early Life & Education ==
== Early ==
Originally from the [[United States]], she moved to [[London]] to attend the [[Royal Central School of Speech and Drama]]. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in [[Acting]].<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-04 |title=Olivia Dodd, London drama school graduate, shines with The Poetess at Fringe |url=https://www.londonworld.com/arts-and-culture/olivia-dodd-london-drama-school-graduate-shines-with-the-poetess-at-fringe-5209573 |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=LondonWorld |language=en}}</ref>
Originally from the [[United States]], she moved to [[London]] to attend the [[Royal Central School of Speech and Drama]]. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in [[Acting]].<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-04 |title=Olivia Dodd, London drama school graduate, shines with The Poetess at Fringe |url=https://www.londonworld.com/arts-and-culture/olivia-dodd-london-drama-school-graduate-shines-with-the-poetess-at-fringe-5209573 |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=LondonWorld |language=en}}</ref>
== Background & Inspiration ==
== Background ==
Dodd first began writing poetry at a very early age<ref name=”:3″ />. In an interview with ”Good Days Album”, she discussed her motivation behind writing poetry for strangers, saying, “I think my inspiration has grown from my love of words and hearing other people’s stories. Wanting to connect with people as well, we’re in this huge city, in London it becomes hard to just have a conversation with somebody.”<ref name=”:2″>{{Cite web |title=OLIVIA DODD |url=https://www.gooddaysalbum.com/blog/olivia-dodd |access-date=2025-12-01 |website=Good Days Album |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Dodd first began writing poetry at a very early age<ref name=”:3″ />. In an interview with ”Good Days Album”, she discussed her motivation behind writing poetry for strangers, saying, “I think my inspiration has grown from my love of words and hearing other people’s stories. Wanting to connect with people as well, we’re in this huge city, in London it becomes hard to just have a conversation with somebody.”<ref name=”:2″>{{Cite web |title=OLIVIA DODD |url=https://www.gooddaysalbum.com/blog/olivia-dodd |access-date=2025-12-01 |website=Good Days Album |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Dodd also mentions that she was inspired by a woman named Lisa Ann Markuson, with the stage name LAMARKS, who was writing poems for people on a typewriter in [[New York City]]. After witnessing this artistic form, she felt connected to the craft, saying, “I knew it was something I needed to do.” Feeling as though typewriter poetry was her calling, Dodd emailed the woman, who responded and began mentoring her. Since that moment, LAMARKS and Dodd have been collaborating with one another through the creative organization [https://www.arspoetica.us/ Ars Poetica].<ref name=”:2″ />
Dodd also mentions that she was inspired by a woman named Lisa Ann Markuson, with the stage name LAMARKS, who was writing poems for people on a typewriter in [[New York City]]. After witnessing this artistic form, she felt connected to the craft, saying, “I knew it was something I needed to do.” Feeling as though typewriter poetry was her calling, Dodd emailed the woman, who responded and began mentoring her. Since that moment, LAMARKS and Dodd have been collaborating with one another through the creative organization [https://www.arspoetica.us/ Ars Poetica].<ref name=”:2″ />
== Career ==
== Career ==
[[File:The Proletariat Poetry Factory – 19 Sep 2009.jpg|alt=A blue typewriter used in typewriter poetry.|thumb|Typewriter used in typewriter poetry. ]]
[[File:The Proletariat Poetry Factory – 19 Sep 2009.jpg|alt=A blue typewriter used in typewriter poetry.|thumb|Typewriter used in typewriter poetry. ]]
== Artistic Style & Typewriter Poetry ==
== Artistic ==
[[File:Olivia Dodd Poetry Themes Globe.jpg|alt=Globe made up of a bunch of words that describe common poetic themes and influences. |thumb|Dodd’s poetic themes that resonate universally. ]]Dodd centers her writing style around [[typewriter]] poetry, a creative art form that involves using a typewriter instead of pen and paper.
[[File:Olivia Dodd Poetry Themes Globe.jpg|alt=Globe made up of a bunch of words that describe common poetic themes and influences. |thumb|Dodd’s poetic themes that resonate universally. ]]Dodd centers her writing style around [[typewriter]] poetry, a creative art form that involves using a typewriter instead of pen and paper.
She notes that her experience in acting contributed to her becoming more comfortable and confident.
She notes that her experience in acting contributed to her becoming more comfortable and confident.
In speaking with ”Good Days Album”, she said, “There are a lot of crossovers with my style of poetry and acting, because it’s this kind of performance art. Sitting in a space and allowing somebody to come up to you and speak openly, then write for them on the spot and read the poem to them, requires a performative element, and acting training has allowed me to be more comfortable in those settings.”<ref name=”:2″ />
In speaking with ”Good Days Album”, she said, “There are a lot of crossovers with my style of poetry and acting, because it’s this kind of performance art. Sitting in a space and allowing somebody to come up to you and speak openly, then write for them on the spot and read the poem to them, requires a performative element, and acting training has allowed me to be more comfortable in those settings.”<ref name=”:2″ />
With impromptu typewriter poetry at the forefront of her writing style, Dodd describes her poetry as a vessel that fosters connection and storytelling. She gained popularity when she started sharing her poetry with the world and connected with strangers.<ref name=”:3″ />
With impromptu typewriter poetry at the forefront of her writing style, Dodd describes her poetry as a vessel that fosters connection and storytelling. She gained popularity when she started sharing her poetry with the world and connected with strangers.<ref name=”:3″ />
She writes poetry for strangers through interactions lasting a few minutes. In these sessions, she asks strangers for a word, a feeling or a short prompt and then composes a poem on the spot, often delivering the finished piece to the recipient in-person, reading it aloud.<ref name=”:3″ />
She writes poetry for strangers through interactions lasting a few minutes. In these sessions, she asks strangers for a word, a feeling or a short prompt and then composes a poem on the spot, often delivering the finished piece to the recipient in-person, reading it aloud.<ref name=”:3″ />
This format focuses on immediacy, listening and personal connection. Dodd frames her typewriter poetry as an act of attentive listening and creative response, which in turn allows them to discuss individual experiences in a public setting. She brings this art form of hers to regular spots in London parks and pop-up typewriter events at markets, stores and festivals.<ref name=”:3″ />
This format focuses on immediacy, listening and personal connection. Dodd frames her typewriter poetry as an act of attentive listening and creative response, which in turn allows them to discuss individual experiences in a public setting. She brings this art form of hers to regular spots in London parks and pop-up typewriter events at markets, stores and festivals.<ref name=”:3″ />
Formal features seen in Dodd’s poems often involve direct address to the stranger she writes the poem for, similar to a letter. Her poems often center around specific imagery, and focus on relationships, longing, loss and small everyday moments.<ref name=”:2″ />
Formal features seen in Dodd’s poems often involve direct address to the stranger she writes the poem for, similar to a letter. Her poems often center around specific imagery, and focus on relationships, longing, loss and small everyday moments.<ref name=”:2″ />
[[File:Oliviadoddpic3.jpg|alt=A photo of someone holding a typewritten poem from Olivia Dodd as seen in London’s Regents Park in background. |thumb|A typewritten poem from Olivia Dodd as seen in London’s Regents Park. ]]
[[File:Oliviadoddpic3.jpg|alt=A photo of someone holding a typewritten poem from Olivia Dodd as seen in London’s Regents Park in background. |thumb|A typewritten poem from Olivia Dodd as seen in London’s Regents Park. ]]
The physical constraints of a mechanical typewriter (line-length, rhythm of keys, and the impossibility of easy erasure) are frequently noted as shaping both the aesthetic and affective qualities of the poems. The visible edits and the tactile imprint of typewritten text add depth to the poem’s meaning and objecthood. Spectators have described the effect as a hybrid of performance art, craft poetry and modern-day amulet-making—poems are treated as keepsakes as much as oral compositions.<ref name=”:2″ /> Media coverage from global news outlets, including [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] and [[People (magazine)|People Magazine]], has covered both the performative and documentary value of Dodd’s work: the poems function as keepsakes for the recipients, and recordings of the live interactions provide material that can be shared online.<ref name=”:4″>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0BCbFgG7WU |title=The Art of Typewriter Poetry: Creating Connections Between Strangers {{!}} Olivia Dodd {{!}} TEDxWarwick |date=2024-10-15 |last=TEDx Talks |access-date=2025-12-09 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
The physical constraints of a mechanical typewriter (line-length, rhythm of keys, and the impossibility of easy erasure) are frequently noted as shaping both the aesthetic and affective qualities of the poems. The visible edits and the tactile imprint of typewritten text add depth to the poem’s meaning and objecthood. Spectators have described the effect as a hybrid of performance art, craft poetry and modern-day amulet-making—poems are treated as keepsakes as much as oral compositions.<ref name=”:2″ /> Media coverage from global news outlets, including [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] and [[People (magazine)|People Magazine]], has covered both the performative and documentary value of Dodd’s work: the poems function as keepsakes for the recipients, and recordings of the live interactions provide material that can be shared online.<ref name=”:4″>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0BCbFgG7WU |title=The Art of Typewriter Poetry: Creating Connections Between Strangers {{!}} Olivia Dodd {{!}} TEDxWarwick |date=2024-10-15 |last=TEDx Talks |access-date=2025-12-09 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
== Theatrical Work ==
== Theatrical ==
Using her theatrical background as a graduate from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, she made her theatre debut at the Fringe festival in [[Edinburgh|Edinburgh, Scotland]]. Dodd performed a play titled ”The Poetess”. The theatrical production centers around Viola, a modern-day poet who inherits her grandmother’s typewriter and, by way of a mysterious letter, unearths a legacy of unspoken dreams and discovers the hidden pastime of writing poetry for strangers.<ref name=”:1″ /><ref>{{Cite web |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/movies/olivia-dodd-london-drama-school-graduate-shines-with-the-poetess-at-fringe/ar-AA1HYpIU?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1 |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=www.msn.com}}</ref>
Using her theatrical background as a graduate from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, she made her theatre debut at the Fringe festival in [[Edinburgh|Edinburgh, Scotland]]. Dodd performed a play titled ”The Poetess”. The theatrical production centers around Viola, a modern-day poet who inherits her grandmother’s typewriter and, by way of a mysterious letter, unearths a legacy of unspoken dreams and discovers the hidden pastime of writing poetry for strangers.<ref name=”:1″ /><ref>{{Cite web |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/movies/olivia-dodd-london-drama-school-graduate-shines-with-the-poetess-at-fringe/ar-AA1HYpIU?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1 |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=www.msn.com}}</ref>
”The Poetess” draws from notable literary figures, including [[Emily Dickinson]] and [[Mary Oliver]]. Olivia explores themes of womanhood, connection, self-discovery, and empathy, all centered around female friendship and familial relations.
”The Poetess” draws from notable literary figures, including [[Emily Dickinson]] and [[Mary Oliver]]. Olivia explores themes of womanhood, connection, self-discovery, and empathy, all centered around female friendship and familial relations.
Dodd incorporates the audience into the play, making ”The Poetess” an interactive, shared experience that invites audience members to be emotionally intimate with one another. Participants are invited up on stage with Olivia, share a story with her, receive a poem, and leave with a sealed envelope that they in turn pass on to a stranger. This simple gesture brings up the topic of whether poetry can impact others outside this theatrical space.<ref name=”:1″ />
Dodd incorporates the audience into the play, making ”The Poetess” an interactive, shared experience that invites audience members to be emotionally intimate with one another. Participants are invited up on stage with Olivia, share a story with her, receive a poem, and leave with a sealed envelope that they in turn pass on to a stranger. This simple gesture brings up the topic of whether poetry can impact others outside this theatrical space.<ref name=”:1″ />
According to a review from ”LondonWorld”, a London-based publication, they state, “Olivia offers audiences not just a performance, but an invitation to witness the healing power of words in a way rarely seen at the festival.”<ref name=”:1″ />
According to a review from ”LondonWorld”, a London-based publication, they state, “Olivia offers audiences not just a performance, but an invitation to witness the healing power of words in a way rarely seen at the festival.”<ref name=”:1″ />
Reviewer Megan Amato from ”[[Scottish Field]]” said, “Olivia’s story resonated with me in a way that I hadn’t expected – as someone who covers up grief with self-reliance instead of facing it; of being that friend who always listens but never shares; and of being able to face others but not ourselves. ”The Poetess” felt like therapy, having given name to something heavy that has long sat with me and feeling lighter for recognising it.”<ref>{{Cite web |last=Amato |first=Megan |date=August 22, 2025 |title=Fringe Reviews: Dance and Theatre |url=https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/culture/fringe-reviews-dance-and-theatre/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 12, 2025 |website=Scottish Field}}</ref>
Reviewer Megan Amato from ”[[Scottish Field]]” said, “Olivia’s story resonated with me in a way that I hadn’t expected – as someone who covers up grief with self-reliance instead of facing it; of being that friend who always listens but never shares; and of being able to face others but not ourselves. ”The Poetess” felt like therapy, having given name to something heavy that has long sat with me and feeling lighter for recognising it.”<ref>{{Cite web |last=Amato |first=Megan |date=August 22, 2025 |title=Fringe Reviews: Dance and Theatre |url=https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/culture/fringe-reviews-dance-and-theatre/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 12, 2025 |website=Scottish Field}}</ref>
== Impact ==
== Impact ==
With over 262,000 followers on Instagram,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/olivia.poetess/ |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=www.instagram.com}}</ref> Dodd operates under the account handle @olivia.poetess. Dodd has gained hundreds of thousands of followers on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok due to her typewriter poetry. She and her work have been featured in multiple news outlets, including [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]],<ref name=”:3″>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Nidhi |title=Video Typewriter poet’s impromptu poetry helps strangers heal |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/video/typewriter-poets-impromptu-poetry-helps-strangers-heal-117096747 |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=ABC News |language=}}</ref> [[People (magazine)|People Magazine]],<ref name=”:0″>{{Cite web |title=Typewriter Poet at Park Helps Man Pull Off Surprise Proposal: ‘Fingers Were Shaking with Excitement’ (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/typewriter-poet-at-park-helps-man-pull-off-epic-proposal-exclusive-8754071 |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=People.com |language=en}}</ref> and [[Good Morning America]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=America |first=Good Morning |title=Typewriter poet’s impromptu poetry helps strangers heal |url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/video/117096747 |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=Good Morning America |language=en}}</ref>
With over 262,000 followers on Instagram,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/olivia.poetess/ |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=www.instagram.com}}</ref> Dodd operates under the account handle @olivia.poetess. Dodd has gained hundreds of thousands of followers on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok due to her typewriter poetry. She and her work have been featured in multiple news outlets, including [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]],<ref name=”:3″>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Nidhi |title=Video Typewriter poet’s impromptu poetry helps strangers heal |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/video/typewriter-poets-impromptu-poetry-helps-strangers-heal-117096747 |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=ABC News |language=}}</ref> [[People (magazine)|People Magazine]],<ref name=”:0″>{{Cite web |title=Typewriter Poet at Park Helps Man Pull Off Surprise Proposal: ‘Fingers Were Shaking with Excitement’ (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/typewriter-poet-at-park-helps-man-pull-off-epic-proposal-exclusive-8754071 |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=People.com |language=en}}</ref> and [[Good Morning America]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=America |first=Good Morning |title=Typewriter poet’s impromptu poetry helps strangers heal |url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/video/117096747 |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=Good Morning America |language=en}}</ref>
Dodd attended a [[TED (conference)|TEDx]] event at the [[University of Warwick]] in [[Coventry]], England, and gave a speech titled “The Art of Typewriter Poetry: Creating Connections Between Strangers”. In this talk, Dodd highlights the power poetry has in facilitating connection among each other. She speaks about the interactions she has when typing custom poems, noting how healing the process can be for people.<ref name=”:4″ />
Dodd attended a [[TED (conference)|TEDx]] event at the [[University of Warwick]] in [[Coventry]], England, and gave a speech titled “The Art of Typewriter Poetry: Creating Connections Between Strangers”. In this talk, Dodd highlights the power poetry has in facilitating connection among each other. She speaks about the interactions she has when typing custom poems, noting how healing the process can be for people.<ref name=”:4″ />
Her typewriter poetry has gained much recognition online as she records moments shared between her and strangers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ayoungishperspective1 |date=2025-07-26 |title=In Conversation With: Olivia Dodd |url=https://ayoungishperspective.co.uk/2025/07/26/in-conversation-with-olivia-dodd/ |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=A Young(ish) Perspective |language=en-US}}</ref> Dodd rose to wider visibility through short videos and online “reels” of her writing poems for strangers on the spot on her mechanical typewriter. Her typewriter poetry has been incorporated in many life moments.
Her typewriter poetry has gained much recognition online as she records moments shared between her and strangers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ayoungishperspective1 |date=2025-07-26 |title=In Conversation With: Olivia Dodd |url=https://ayoungishperspective.co.uk/2025/07/26/in-conversation-with-olivia-dodd/ |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=A Young(ish) Perspective |language=en-US}}</ref> Dodd rose to wider visibility through short videos and online “reels” of her writing poems for strangers on the spot on her mechanical typewriter. Her typewriter poetry has been incorporated in many life moments.
One of Dodd’s most widely circulated moments on social media occurred in late 2024, when her typewriter poetry was used in a public marriage proposal. A man requested a poem about himself and his partner, specifying that it end with “Will you marry me?” He read the poem during the proposal, and his partner accepted. Bystanders recorded the event, and the footage was later shared on social media and in news reports, increasing public visibility of Dodd’s work.<ref name=”:0″ />
One of Dodd’s most widely circulated moments on social media occurred in late 2024, when her typewriter poetry was used in a public marriage proposal. A man requested a poem about himself and his partner, specifying that it end with “Will you marry me?” He read the poem during the proposal, and his partner accepted. Bystanders recorded the event, and the footage was later shared on social media and in news reports, increasing public visibility of Dodd’s work.<ref name=”:0″ />
Olivia Dodd is an American poet, actor, writer, playwright, and performance artist. She gained popularity on social media platforms due to the poetry she writes for strangers on a typewriter.
Early life and education
Originally from the United States, she moved to London to attend the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Acting.[1]
Background and inspiration
Dodd first began writing poetry at a very early age[2]. In an interview with Good Days Album, she discussed her motivation behind writing poetry for strangers, saying, “I think my inspiration has grown from my love of words and hearing other people’s stories. Wanting to connect with people as well, we’re in this huge city, in London it becomes hard to just have a conversation with somebody.”[3]
Dodd also mentions that she was inspired by a woman named Lisa Ann Markuson, with the stage name LAMARKS, who was writing poems for people on a typewriter in New York City. After witnessing this artistic form, she felt connected to the craft, saying, “I knew it was something I needed to do.” Feeling as though typewriter poetry was her calling, Dodd emailed the woman, who responded and began mentoring her. Since that moment, LAMARKS and Dodd have been collaborating with one another through the creative organization Ars Poetica.[3]
Career
A London-based poet, Dodd types up poems for strangers on her typewriter. She can be seen typing poems for strangers in London’s Regents Park. In addition to writing for strangers in public spaces, she attends events and writes poetry for guests. Dodd writes commissioned pieces for private clients and public events. Examples reported in press coverage include commissioned poems for marriage proposals, weddings and corporate or branded events. She has been working with the women-led creative agency Ars Poetica. She is the lead poet for all of their events in the United Kingdom.
Artistic style and typewriter poetry
Dodd centers her writing style around typewriter poetry, a creative art form that involves using a typewriter instead of pen and paper.
She notes that her experience in acting contributed to her becoming more comfortable and confident.
In speaking with Good Days Album, she said, “There are a lot of crossovers with my style of poetry and acting, because it’s this kind of performance art. Sitting in a space and allowing somebody to come up to you and speak openly, then write for them on the spot and read the poem to them, requires a performative element, and acting training has allowed me to be more comfortable in those settings.”[3]
With impromptu typewriter poetry at the forefront of her writing style, Dodd describes her poetry as a vessel that fosters connection and storytelling. She gained popularity when she started sharing her poetry with the world and connected with strangers.[2]
She writes poetry for strangers through interactions lasting a few minutes. In these sessions, she asks strangers for a word, a feeling or a short prompt and then composes a poem on the spot, often delivering the finished piece to the recipient in-person, reading it aloud.[2]
This format focuses on immediacy, listening and personal connection. Dodd frames her typewriter poetry as an act of attentive listening and creative response, which in turn allows them to discuss individual experiences in a public setting. She brings this art form of hers to regular spots in London parks and pop-up typewriter events at markets, stores and festivals.[2]
Formal features seen in Dodd’s poems often involve direct address to the stranger she writes the poem for, similar to a letter. Her poems often center around specific imagery, and focus on relationships, longing, loss and small everyday moments.[3]
The physical constraints of a mechanical typewriter (line-length, rhythm of keys, and the impossibility of easy erasure) are frequently noted as shaping both the aesthetic and affective qualities of the poems. The visible edits and the tactile imprint of typewritten text add depth to the poem’s meaning and objecthood. Spectators have described the effect as a hybrid of performance art, craft poetry and modern-day amulet-making—poems are treated as keepsakes as much as oral compositions.[3] Media coverage from global news outlets, including ABC News and People Magazine, has covered both the performative and documentary value of Dodd’s work: the poems function as keepsakes for the recipients, and recordings of the live interactions provide material that can be shared online.[4]
Theatrical work
Using her theatrical background as a graduate from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, she made her theatre debut at the Fringe festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dodd performed a play titled The Poetess. The theatrical production centers around Viola, a modern-day poet who inherits her grandmother’s typewriter and, by way of a mysterious letter, unearths a legacy of unspoken dreams and discovers the hidden pastime of writing poetry for strangers.[1][5]
The Poetess draws from notable literary figures, including Emily Dickinson and Mary Oliver. Olivia explores themes of womanhood, connection, self-discovery, and empathy, all centered around female friendship and familial relations.
Dodd incorporates the audience into the play, making The Poetess an interactive, shared experience that invites audience members to be emotionally intimate with one another. Participants are invited up on stage with Olivia, share a story with her, receive a poem, and leave with a sealed envelope that they in turn pass on to a stranger. This simple gesture brings up the topic of whether poetry can impact others outside this theatrical space.[1]
According to a review from LondonWorld, a London-based publication, they state, “Olivia offers audiences not just a performance, but an invitation to witness the healing power of words in a way rarely seen at the festival.”[1]
Reviewer Megan Amato from Scottish Field said, “Olivia’s story resonated with me in a way that I hadn’t expected – as someone who covers up grief with self-reliance instead of facing it; of being that friend who always listens but never shares; and of being able to face others but not ourselves. The Poetess felt like therapy, having given name to something heavy that has long sat with me and feeling lighter for recognising it.”[6]
Impact
With over 262,000 followers on Instagram,[7] Dodd operates under the account handle @olivia.poetess. Dodd has gained hundreds of thousands of followers on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok due to her typewriter poetry. She and her work have been featured in multiple news outlets, including ABC News,[2] People Magazine,[8] and Good Morning America.[9]
Dodd attended a TEDx event at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, and gave a speech titled “The Art of Typewriter Poetry: Creating Connections Between Strangers”. In this talk, Dodd highlights the power poetry has in facilitating connection among each other. She speaks about the interactions she has when typing custom poems, noting how healing the process can be for people.[4]
Her typewriter poetry has gained much recognition online as she records moments shared between her and strangers.[10] Dodd rose to wider visibility through short videos and online “reels” of her writing poems for strangers on the spot on her mechanical typewriter. Her typewriter poetry has been incorporated in many life moments.
One of Dodd’s most widely circulated moments on social media occurred in late 2024, when her typewriter poetry was used in a public marriage proposal. A man requested a poem about himself and his partner, specifying that it end with “Will you marry me?” He read the poem during the proposal, and his partner accepted. Bystanders recorded the event, and the footage was later shared on social media and in news reports, increasing public visibility of Dodd’s work.[8]
