Throughout the month of May, Denver-based poet Mathias Svalina will be cycling around Buffalo, delivering poems to “people in need”, as part of his Dream Delivery Service. Anyone can sign up as a subscriber, to have poems delivered, by bike, right to their front door. Subscribers pay a delivery fee of $45, which in turn ensures that they get a Dream Poem every day. Or, if the subscriber prefers, he or she can have the daily poems delivered (as gifts) to a friend, family member, or a loved one. All of the poems are unique, written specifically for the recipient, except on Sundays, “because everyone dreams the same dream on Sunday… and even Svalina needs a break from writing unique poems one day a week.” But even on Sundays, poems will be delivered, in accordance to the focused ritual from which he never strays.
Svalina initially took part in last summer’s Just Buffalo Literary Center’s Silo City Reading Series. Now he will be returning to write (and deliver) dream poems, as part of his Dream Delivery Service. While he is in Buffalo for the month of May, he will also be leading workshops, and presenting his own work.
Along with Zachary Schomburg, Svalina edits Octopus Magazine and Octopus Books. He has been profiled on NPR, has had numerous articles published in newspapers in Virginia and Arizona, and was even featured on Brazilian TV.
Since 2014, Svalina has been running his Dream Delivery Service. He begins the day by hopping on his bike to make the deliveries before most people have even roll out of bed. After making the deliveries, he begins to write dream poems to be delivered the following day. He has done this in a number of cities, including Denver, Tucson, Marfa, Austin, Richmond, and Chicago.
“On a personal level, I’m very excited about learning more about the city as I bike from 3:00-6:00am delivering dreams,” said Svalina, when asked about his upcoming visit to Buffalo. “I’m also excited about the bridges, and being along the water—after living in Denver for several years. There’s such a great community of artists & writers in Buffalo— Buffalo has a flavor that many other cities that have embarked on the renaissance cookie-cutter model don’t have.”
Daily nightmares cost an extra $3.75.
Svalina will be delivering the dream poems by bike, within four miles of his designated Buffalo hub at Hostel Buffalo-Niagara (667 Main Street in Downtown Buffalo). For those who live outside of that 4-mile zone, he does offer mail delivery: $45 + postage: $60.
10% of subscription fees are donated to Planned Parenthood.
Those interested in subscribing to his service can visit dreamdeliveryservice.com and all of the information is included there.
In addition to his daily dream delivery, Svalina will be holding multiple workshops:
Just Buffalo Writing Center Workshops (participants 12-18 years of age)
- May 8th & 10th, 4:30-5:30pm, Dream Poems Workshop
- May 15th & 17th, 4:30-5:30pm, Writing as Daily Practice
- May 29th & 31st, 4:30-5:30pm, Dream Binding—chapbook making
Adult Workshop (at the Just Buffalo Writing Center)
- May 19th, 12:00-1:30pm, Writing as Daily Practice, $20 Special Presentations
- May 22nd & 24th, 4:30-5:30, Squeaky Wheel & Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology, Collaborative Dream Films, BCAT (1221 Main St, Buffalo, NY)
- May 31st, 4:30-5:30, Celebration Reading with JBWC Students & Mathias Svalina, Just Buffalo Writing Center
Mathias Svalina’s visit is made possible through a gift in the memory of Judy Beecher, Squeaky Wheel, Public Espresso+Coffee, GObike Buffalo, Just Buffalo Writing Center, and Hostel Buffalo.