Poetry in Motion: Writer Flor Ana

Flor Ana is a force of literary nature. She is at turns a poet (A Moth Fell in Love with the Moon; Vocabulary Lessons in Love & Limerence); a novelist (Amanita); a live typewriter/energy poet (don’t worry; we’ll define in a moment); the founder of “author-first, independent” Indie Earth Publishing; and, at times, an alternative rock lyricist and singer.   

AQUA Miami recently caught up with Ana for an inspiring chat about the evolution of her craft, what it’s like to help others bring their stories into the world, and how the physical, intuitive tapping on an old school typewriter keys allows her to touch the poetic ethereal and provide “a gift that goes beyond words.” 

For the uninitiated, what is a live typewriter poet?   

Basically, it is a poet that writes poems on the spot—usually a give-me-a-topic-and-I ‘ll-write-you-a-poem sort of energy—for people out on the streets or at events. I had gotten my first typewriter back in 2021, and one day Oscar Fuentes, also known as The Biscayne Poet, invited me to join him at the 1 Hotel in South Beach for some typewriter poetry in the lobby. I think it was the second or third time that Oscar invited me back that a woman approached me and said, “I don’t have a topic so just write whatever you’d like.”

So, I asked her for her name and wrote her an acrostic poem, which catapulted me into a whole new atmosphere as the woman started crying when I gave her the poem and said, “This is insane. How did you know this about me?” Now I only do energy readings or intuitive poetry with my typewriter. I find it so beautiful and fulfilling for myself and the people I write for. It’s something different than regular typewriter poetry, and it makes me feel like I am giving a gift that goes beyond words. Honestly, I do all kinds of events with my typewriter; weddings, bridal and baby showers; corporate events; spiritual events; birthday parties, brand launches—you name it! It’s something truly so special and unique to bring to any kind of event.  

In an age where AI and doom scrolling offers some challenges to the traditional written word, do you see event poetry as a way to reintroduce people to the magic of imagination and tactile, physical word art? 

Absolutely! My goal is to make people feel something through words, and in an age where AI and scrolling have added a level of numbness to the world around us, having a poem you can take home that is message of abundance and affirmation is something that really sticks with you, that you can turn to time and time again. I have had so many people tell me they still read their poem or have it framed in their space, and I’m so honored and grateful for that. It makes me feel like I’m making a difference, even if only in a small way.

I think event poetry also introduces some people to the magic of literature who may not be super familiar with poetry to begin with. It also introduces a level of love, magic, and confidence that surpasses the written word. In all honesty, I have seen people go after their dreams and succeed because they were so inspired by the poem I wrote for them. And, as a true believer that we all have the ability to make our dreams come true, because I have been able to make my dreams come true, that is everything to me. 

Did you love words and stories from a young age? 

I think words and books in general have always captured my imagination. I remember being as little as five or six years old, writing little songs in my notebooks. And I loved going to Barnes & Noble to read Magic Tree House and Katie Kazoo books. Actually, my parents would tell me that if I got good grades, I could buy books—so I was always an honor roll student. I also received a lot of support and encouragement: In third grade, there was an assignment to write a sequel to a short story. I chose Edgar Allan Poe’s A Tell-Tale Heart, and I specifically remember my teacher telling me I was a really good writer.  

When did you go from reader/observer to participant? 

While I’ve dabbled in writing forever, in college I became a more avid writer. Writing poetry has taught me so much about myself and about life in general; I think poetry is how I understand my feelings and come to terms with all the little beautiful and difficult moments that are inevitable. I started writing poetry because I felt very alone and slightly existential; it provided comfort, and then when I started publishing my poetry, I realized I wasn’t alone in these thoughts and feelings.  

You also pursued music—and still play out. Does that intertwine with your approach to writing at all? 

Absolutely! My writing started off as songwriting when I was really young, and honestly, it wasn’t until I was in college when I started really diving into writing poems as poems instead of songs. It was my way of learning and understanding the changes from adolescence into adulthood. Pursuing music also gave me a stronger affinity to rhyme and alliteration, which are still prevalent in my writing.  

How fulfilling is it to help people find the story in themselves and share it with the world in a high-quality way via your company, Indie Earth Publishing? 

Indie Earth Publishing is my baby. It is my full-time job that doesn’t pay the bills but is my ability to give back, since the majority of the money that goes into the company goes right back out to the authors. It is a co-publisher for writers, by a writer that I started because I felt so alone in the publishing industry, and I wanted authors to explore the creative freedom of having their book exactly how they envisioned it, with the technical support of a publisher behind them. It is so fulfilling to be able to help people bring their books to fruition; in a way, I feel like I am still helping little Flor who felt so lost and alone in the publishing world six years later. I feel like I am doing for writers what I didn’t have when I first started in this industry.  

Tell us about your novel. 

Amanita is a YA dual-POV novel loosely inspired by Alice in Wonderland and set around Amara and Luke, two best friends finishing up high school. It is a magical realism novel in the way that it is set in both our world and a magical world Amara discovers and explores. It is a friends-to-lovers novel, but more than that, it is a story about authenticity and learning to move through the unknowns of life without fear. It also discusses Cuban American heritage and what freedom means along with what family means and the reality that there is always more than what meets the eye. Amanita is my first novel, and it took me almost three years to write and four years to publish. It is a book that I wanted to read but never saw on the shelf and so I took it upon myself to write it.  

What’s next for you? 

Honestly, I don’t know, but at the same time I do. I want to continue helping authors and writers to bring their books to fruition, and I want to keep writing myself and exploring other ways to express my creativity. I want to truly see Energy in Poetry, my event typewriter business, fully take off and have multiple events a week so that I can further inspire and make people feel something.

I also have a new poetry book about the emotional body coming out on April 29, which is titled A Dissection of Heart & Rewiring of Mind, and I am also working on my first adult novel. It is a gothic romance that is also dual-pov and follows a woman who becomes a vampire against her will and how she navigates those emotions when she meets a man who accepts her for who she has become when she doesn’t accept it herself.

More than an enemies-to-lovers romance, this book also has an important theme of sisterhood, and I can’t wait to finish writing it and one day share it with the world.  

For more information, visit Ana on Instagram at @littleearthflower.