TRIGGER WARNING: sexual abuse
Welcome to another feature! Today’s interview is with Bailee Noella, a twenty one year old writer from Indiana. She wrote the upcoming poetry book “Bathtub in Flames,” which you can preorder here. Follow her on instagram @baileenoella, and find her clothing brand here that aims to take the shame out of mental illness.
What inspired you to write your poetry collection, “Bathtub In Flames?” What does the title mean?
I wrote and drew all the time as a kid. Growing up in a chaotic household and experiencing sexual abuse, it was my only way to silently express myself and survive. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I came forward about my trauma to family and friends. Fortunately, that set me on the path to healing. bathtub in flames. is a tribute to my journey. I hope that it will inspire others to share their own story and help people understand what life is like with mental illness. The title alludes to a flashback that I frequently have to one of the times I was molested in a bathtub — this became a hellish place for me, hence “bathtub in flames.”
What was the process of writing like for your poetry collection?
I started collecting old poems that I wrote as a teenager and revamped them to match my improved style. I have a bunch of random lines and phrases scribbled down here and there, so I found those and worked them into full poems as well. Of course, I’ve been writing poems from scratch too in order to capture what my life is like now and how far I’ve come in my healing journey. I work with several different sets of editors who give me feedback on what changes to make to improve my work, including the order my poems are in. This is my first time publicly sharing my poetry (and my experiences), so it’s been a daunting but really insightful and empowering journey.
What do you want your readers to take away from your poetry?
I want readers to walk away from my collection feeling empowered to share their own experiences with trauma and mental illness. While I know that some people unfortunately do not have supportive figures in their lives, I do think it’s important to be open and honest with yourself and whoever else you choose to open up to about your story. It’s a major step to healing. I truly believe that silence is re-traumatizing. I also think that as more people come forward, society will really start to realize that there is no shame in mental illness or trauma. Hopefully my poems can debunk some common misconceptions about PTSD and sexual abuse and comfort anyone who is going through similar circumstances.
Do you write on a regular basis, or sporadically when you get inspired?
I wish I could say I make myself write on a daily basis, but I honestly usually write most of my stuff when inspiration strikes. I’ll go several weeks without writing a full poem and then write upwards of ten on a day that my creativity is really flowing. I do find myself thinking of lines for poems throughout the day though, so I usually have a big collection of phrases in my Notes app on my phone that I look at later to see if they inspire me and I can work them into a finished piece.
What was the first thing you ever wrote? How old were you?
It’s hard to say what the first thing I wrote was, but I do remember writing a short story about a pet monkey being taught how to sit by its owner when I was a little kid… Yeah, I’ve definitely come a long way since then! I also have tons of Word documents full of other little stories that I wrote when I was younger. Most of them are about animals — no surprise there.
Who are some of your favorite writers? How do they affect your own work?
Charles Bukowski and David Sedaris are two of my favorite writers. They’re blunt and humorous, and occasionally downright vulgar. Bukowski in particular shows that it is possible to show the reality of how hard and gross life can be while still being poetic. He’s been very impactful to me, as I think it’s important to show what life really looks like. Alex Dimitrov is another favorite poet of mine. His flow and the subjects of his work are unique and so specific yet universal. Collectively, they’ve all really inspired my own writing.
What do you love most about your own writing?
I think my flow and the use of breaths are one of my favorite things about my writing. I really try to put the reader in my mind, and occasionally that means hurried, panicked thoughts that are racing and have no time for commas or periods. I use spacing to my advantage to show that as well.
What advice would you give a beginning poet?
Don’t be afraid to play around with your flow, and definitely don’t be afraid to deviate from what is popular in the poetry world at the moment. Read as much as possible to gather inspiration and cultivate your own style. Seek out new experiences. Write your way through the hard times and be sure to capture the good. Know that you can make a massive impact on someone’s life by making them not feel alone with your work, so be sure to share it — you never know who needs to hear your words!
Big thanks to Bailee for her interview! If you would like to be interviewed for my blog, send me a message on Instagram @elizarkent.
