The city of Anacaona has the reputation of being the bastion of many cultural activities since the time of the first inhabitants of the island until today. It is a city that was once home to many singers, dancers, poets, musicians, etc. Dˈailleurs, the Queen herself was a talented composer. It was in this township that Ruthza Paul was born and then raised. She did her primary studies at the Sainte Rose de Lima School in Léogane and her secondary studies at the Collège Coeur de Marie (CCM).
Growing up in the city of Léogâne was an extraordinary experience for the champion of Datapowetik 3rd edition. For her, it was a chance as a Haitian to discover every nook and cranny of the city. During her childhood, she felt an immense pleasure to be able to participate in the various festivities of the city, the atmosphere which always reigned in the city especially during the period of the Rara, the Sunday of Easter. Her mother used to take her to see the parade every first and second of January, and she could watch the people experience the “maswife”. She says she always loved those moments.
Itˈis also, one of the reasons why the poetess has never thought of detaching herself from Léogâne. It is the city of her heart. Her whole soul is found in this city. However, the love of the people of Léogane for culture, especially for voodoo and Rara, is another reason why Ruthza is attached to this friendly city, always open to people from other districts. It is the hospitable city par excellence for her. For Miss Paul, you can’t talk about Leogane without mentioning the sugar cane and its lush crops. These are all things that make the city unique, she added.
Ruthza discovered her love for poetry in classical school. Her first piece of writing was titled “Ton Nwèl”. A poet’s inspiration may come from a word she heard, a book she read, a situation that made the news, what she is experiencing or has experienced, or for no particular reason because poetry has the ability to come to her without warning.
Ruthza has a strong inclination for social text because she believes that poetry should ask the problems, the questions that need to be asked, when something is not working. Poetry is a weapon in itself, she stressed.
Politics and Love are her favorite subjects. Her role model is a poet from Léogâne named Max Grégory St Fleur who inspired her after reading his book.
What she likes most about this author is the availability of his works to his readers. “They can teach, they are fun, and they give someone the opportunity to become a better version of themselves,” Ruthza relates.
This discovery led Ruthza to read widely, especially Haitian poets who write in Creole. She particularly liked contemporary poets and never tired of praising the works of the old. The poet surmised: “Max Gregory St. Fleur is the first Haitian poet I ever read.
On June 17, Ruthza plans to publish her first book of poetry, Meli Melo. The topics covered in this review are: love, hope and the problems of Haitian society. She has been working on the publication of the book since 2020. The winner of the DataPowetik 2022 contest describes herself as a spokesperson for the voiceless, those who do not have the chance to speak out. She hopes that future generations will see her work as a legacy, they will have the chance to live their time through her works. Méli Mélo has about 110 pages, and will be published in Les éditions Lanbi.
Writing in Creole for Ruthza: “It’s a way to help people appreciate the Haitian Creole language, to show that if you are Haitian you should be proud to speak and write in your mother tongue. She discovered that some things can only be said in Creole to have the intended meaning and decided to embrace Creole poetry. “Itˈwas a decision that took a lot of learning, including learning how to write Creole well (because I was in a school where I was not given the freedom to speak Creole), which allowed me to juggle words the way I do right now.” The poet also writes in the language of Voltaire and her dream is to see her work translated into other languages.
Ruthza’s advice to young people who want to do poetry or follow in her footsteps: “for poetry when I started I had never accepted that I had this ability, you have to let poetry come, let it live in you, let it take you where it wants. Finally, if you are a woman and you want to write poetry, don’t do it to become an artist writer but do it to be useful to society.
Ruthza Paul also took the opportunity to thank the association Eritaj Kilti Kreyòl (EK2) which, according to her, has allowed many people to discover her talent through DataPowetik. “I want to thank them for this spotlight. “Thanks to this, hope is reborn in me. I feel that better days are on the lˈhorizon, we just need to prepare for it” the poet renews.