A love of reading that transforms from a form of escapism, into a passion for writing.

By: Julia Salazar

After experiencing the power of words from authors ranging from Patrick Rothfuss to Jane Austin, Ruth Lemoine began her own writings in hopes to inspire others.

“When I was younger, I lived next to a library, constantly borrowing books,” said Lemoine. “That’s what really got me into literature.”

As a child, Lemoine was inspired by the many books she read. Her older sister influenced her at the time and aided in the process of making Lemoine the reader and writer she is today. She recounts the many times she and her sister would read books together, forming their own book club to discuss.

Beloved children’s novels Junie B. Jones and the Beverly Cleary books were some of her favorites when she was younger. She felt she was able to relate to the young female characters and the many problems young girls go through when growing up. 

Now you can find Lemoine indulging herself in more fantastical novels, including one of her favorite series titled Ember in the Ashes by Sabbah Tahir, and a lengthy adult fantasy novel titled Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. 

“I like reading because it’s kind of like an escape,” said Lemoine. “Especially with fantasy, it’s like you’re entering into a different world. It’s very imaginative, and in reality, you can’t do that as much.”

Her love for reading also came with a love for collecting. Rather than borrowing books or reading on a digital tablet, she prefers to have and own the physical copies of any stories she reads. The feel of the books and the pages is something part of the reading process that cannot be replicated and makes the experience for Lemoine.

At 8 years old, Lemoine began writing stories of her own, mostly realistic fiction as inspired by her love of Junie B. Jones and Beverly Cleary. She even expanded herself to different genres and tried her hand at a science fiction dystopian storyline. She notes the irony in that, as those types of stories are not what she usually likes to read. 

Despite that, she took great care in the stories she would write. They would be handwritten on looseleaf and bound together with a construction paper cover to accompany them, ready for anyone and everyone to read.

As she’s gotten older, her writing changed from fiction to poetry. Lemoine was first introduced to poetry during her college courses at CSI in 2019, reading and writing for her classes. It was at this time she realized she was good at it and began using poetry as a creative outlet and a therapeutic activity for herself.

It wasn’t long afterward that she started taking it more seriously and considering it as a serious path for her career. With more than a few poems ready for publication, her goal is to release a successful poetry book. 

Lemoine’s writings stem from personal experiences and the thoughts of others, mainly in love. She sees love as a valuable topic that has a lot of highs and lows and likes to express these artistically through her writing. Her inspiration for her writings comes from the famous poet Rupi Kaur. 

Kaur’s writings are about a wide range of topics, but all fall under the subject of the human experience. Lemoine appreciates the briefness and relatability of Kaur’s poetry and hopes to emulate that in her writings.

“I would like others to relate to my poetry and the thoughts that go through our heads,” said Lemoine. “While still sending a positive message to love and treat others the way you would want to be treated.”