As has been the case throughout the years, mystery has always appealed to people – and when combined with art, it seems to be a fascinating combination. In this case, to say that Michael Faudet is mysterious would be a definite understatement. Elusive, complex and apparently ubiquitous, the writer seems to have lit up everybody’s imagination. Faudet is rumoured to have been spotted all across the world, and his true identity is something his readers have been trying to discover ever since his writings became popular – and his poems keep everybody guessing.
What do we know about Michael Faudet? Not much. Even though he is very present on social media, having Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and even Instagram accounts, he still manages to keep up the mystery surrounding his persona; his Tumblr blog is entitled ‘Magic and Mischief’ and he simply describes himself in this poetic, short sentence: “I write dirty pretty things in a forest of twisted trees overlooking a bay of treacherous water.” It is obvious that he is trying to maintain the mystery, his profile picture on every social networking platform being that of a famous magician, but what really makes Faudet so fascinating is his style of writing.
Starting to write his short poems – sometimes, as is the case with contemporary poetry, even just sentences – and publishing them on Tumblr, Michael Faudet is now a bestselling author. His book ‘Dirty Pretty Things’ that was released in November 2014 is a collection of these writings; previously posted on his blog in a recognizable way (he used a certain font, a certain layout and background and, nonetheless, his inimitable style), he has now managed to create a work of art that the youth seems to find immensely relatable.
What is striking in Faudet’s poetry is the strange mix of eroticism with innocence – veneration for the one he loves combined with lust. This is the one particular aspect of the poet’s work with which the youth (first of all, his Tumblr followers) seemed to connect most. The simple, straightforward way in which the poems are presented also feeds the reader small doses of who this mysterious figure might be.
Michael Faudet seems to be an all-around fascinating figure, incorporating elements of artistic complexity with that of a being that very much resembles every one of us, with strong impulses and desires. The one thing that seems to have captivated this enigmatic figure’s readers is this so relatable duality: being a normal person who still manages to purify mundane facts and feelings by transferring them into the realm of art. This facet of Faudet will surely inspire many to get in touch with their more creative side – and their darker one.