Over a decade ago, Chris Vitiello received a prank gift from his ex-sister-in-law. It was a large fox costume, abandoned by some festival vendor in a parking lot.
While initially amused, Vitiello had no use for the fox — except for occasionally wearing the suit to entertain his children.
But last year, the Durham native wore the suit more than 250 times. And he made six figures doing it.
The Poetry Fox is an interactive art exhibit created and managed by Vitiello where he shares his love of creative writing under the guise of a friendly fox. He is present at festivals, weddings, conferences, schools and even coffee shops across the Triangle making paper … literally.
So how did a human-like fox on a 1966 Olympia SF deluxe typewriter start earning $1,500 in a single evening? It appears that Vitiello’s writing talents date back long before the fox costume showed up at his door.
The man behind the mask has been putting pen to paper for as long as he can remember. In the late 1980s, Vitiello attended William & Mary College where he honed his writing abilities by majoring in English and Literature.
He continued to study the art of writing and poetics through an master's program at Naropa University, but he knew that trying to earn a living writing poetry is not for the faint of heart.
“I think a lot of poets never think they’re going to write poems for a living,” Vitiello said. “That's just not a thing, you know? There aren't any poem stores in the malls.”
So Vitiello found use for his writing talents elsewhere in the Triangle. After concluding his graduate studies, he found himself as a production coordinator at Duke University Press overseeing the production of academic writing from first drafts to publication.
And before the appearance of the mysterious mascot, Vitiello was a freelance journalist in the Triangle, contributing his pieces to local publications such as INDY Week.
For the last several years, the writer has worked as a communications strategist at N.C. State University Libraries.
So, is the Poetry Fox a side hustle for Vitiello? Not to the artist, especially since he earned six figures last year and expects to top that this year.
The idea for the Poetry Fox was born 12 years ago when Vitiello decided to wear the costume to a collective art space in Durham one Saturday night. The suit, initially worn to generate a few giggles from his children, made a much larger impression on the Triangle art community that night.
And a new local business was born.
“People just started asking me, ‘Hey, will you do that fox thing at my gallery opening,’” Vitiello said. “So, I started to get asked to do events, and it started to get some momentum.”
2017 was when Vitiello really saw the Poetry Fox take shape as a successful Triangle venture. Various markets were requesting the masked poet’s presence at their events, including local wedding planners, farmers markets, burlesque shows and more.
To the fox poet, the number of bookings he received was “startling.”
“Then I started to think,” Vitiello said. “Why can’t I grow in this direction? Why can’t I do more gigs?”
At events, Vitiello does not charge by the poem. Most visitors get to enjoy his art for free by approaching the foxlike poet on his typewriter and requesting a short poem based around a single word of choice.
He profits from the venture by charging a rate or quote to the event organizers. His standard quote for large events like weddings is $1,500 for a night of spontaneous poetry. But his rates vary dramatically for venues that hire by the hour.
But as quickly as his business was getting off the ground, it was abruptly paused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Vitiello’s performance-based business is centered around human and artistic connection, so doing poetry over a Zoom call didn't make much sense.
But once the pandemic-era restrictions lifted, Vitiello saw client base come back bigger and stronger than ever. With the popularization of outdoor markets as a way for people to return to normalcy while maintaining a healthy social distance, the fox’s inbox was once again overflowing with requests.
“One thing that draws a lot of attention is its uniqueness,” Vitiello said. “The Poetry Fox presents a unique service to a variety of markets.”
His unique business venture also caught the attention of the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurs. He was invited to their national conference last year to speak on turning an artistic passion into an entrepreneurial endeavor.
Vitiello hosts entrepreneurship seminars at Wake Technical Community College. He has also scored partnerships with Discover Durham and Cary’s Fenton development.
After 12 years of the Poetry Fox, Vitiello’s business is still climbing. The prolific poet keeps track of every single poem he’s written, and the total is nearing 54,000.
Vitiello’s biggest advice for arts entrepreneurs like himself is to find a way to bring your craft into the public sphere — and maybe even discover a way to involve other people in the making of your work.
“People are interested in you as an artist,” Vitiello said, “They're rooting for you. They want to see you succeed."