WOTM: An Interview with @poetesse_ruinee

31 MARCH 2021

The Writer of the Month Project is a revised segment of The Plain Poets that looks into what makes a writer, be it their craft or ideas. At the end of every month, we will be conducting an interview with a selected writer, and we’ll be diving into their muses, their writing history and much more.

With the conclusion of March on our way, we decided to meet @poetesse_ruinee on Instagram. To sum it up, the writer is an advocate for powerful women representation, paired with the dreamy, ethereal visuals of her feed. Theme-wise, she loves to personify absurd and abstract concepts of women - it amplifies the feminine energy she exudes as a writer, making the page even more beautiful. Her works are reminiscent of a faded painting, yet to be preserved in the modern era. They’re soft in tone, with historical influences adapted from her interests in life. I’ll be diving into this in a bit.

Just like her Instagram page, their username is just as beautiful - when we asked her about the backstory, they reveal that it is actually French for “ruined poetess”. They have always had a soft spot for the French language, and whenever they can, attempt several Duolingo sessions that don’t work out most of the time. The “ruined poetess” came at a low point in her life, and it was a phrase that resonated; stuck with her. That’s how she ended up naming her page after it, sprinkling in the French flair she needed. Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t allow accent marks in usernames, but the writer wishes it would be enabled for the sake of accuracy.

If it weren’t for Instagram, this would be her name: @poétesse_ruinée

The elusive writer truly has an eye for the artists - she cites fictional characters, abstract concepts and art itself as her influences. People in her life are a constant inspiration too, but it is powerful, eccentric women that are her muses. Even if these female characters question her readers’ morals with concepts developed into progressive forms. “I feel that women have been portrayed too long with far too much gentleness and timidity than they have ever known in their lives and seek to change that with every poem I write.” the writer explains, “I want people to know about their real thoughts, the warped fantasies they are scared to speak of, the fatal flaw that becomes the hamartia of the manic pixie dream girl catered to a male gaze.”

A woman that is frequently referenced in her latest works would be Persephone - the wife of Hades (God of the Underworld), and daughter of Demeter (Goddess of Spring). To the writer, Persephone has been a character misconstrued as timid and submissive to her abductor. That, the tale of Hades and Persephone is a revision of Stockholm Syndrome but to the writer, Persephone is more than his wife. This goddess is in fact, a symbol of empowerment, pride and confidence among women. That, no man should ever dictate your life and reduce you to nothing but a shade of red lipstick.

Speaking of characters, another one that has been referenced in her more recent pieces is Icarus. The son of Daedalus and one who fell when he flew close to the sun. The writer claims that her personal favourite to date since her poem holds close to her heart. Icarus is based on someone she had and loved in her life, which is heartbreaking. She goes on to tell me that it’s a vulnerable piece at that, highlighting a young teenager in love with someone much older, thus resulting in a crushed heart ground to ashes because they fear Icarus’ youth.

When it came to the topic of inspiration, this is what she had to say:

“Inspiration is rather a funny thing but I feel in a small way, everything that I’ve ever done, or seen done around me, every person I’ve known, loved and hated, and every memory I have cherished or loathed plays important roles in what I write. Plath is a problematic fave of mine but I absolutely worship her poetry, so she could also be a place of major inspiration.”

In the meantime, the writer has no plans to sticking to what she does. If you already can’t tell, her work is a current focus of women from Greek and Pagan mythology, but they think it’s time for a new shift. As of late, the writer has been considering confessional poetry as well as love poems, but for now, it’s just a matter of what their brain wants to do and obsess over.

The writer also admits that while she has loved writing most of her poems on her page, she does end up archiving most of it due to sudden outbursts of impostor syndrome.

Here at The Plain Poets, we aim to identify these unique poets and writers and to put them on a pedestal via a platform everyone can support them. You may check out our Instagram page here.