AGE: 24
BASED IN: New York
NOW PLUGGING: Complex Female Character, Coming Fall 2027
Around publishing circles and the proverbial social media water cooler, Internet Princess, Rayne Fisher-Quann’s Substack, is practically legendary. After using the platform (and a few well-placed op-eds) to publish such viral, verbiage-coining pieces as “The Cult of the Dissociative Pout” and “Who’s Afraid of Amber Heard?”, the writer is taking her sharp eye for cultural critique to Knopf with her debut book of essays.
Describe your writing ritual.
It’s always different. A lot of the time, I read, research, and sleep all day; go out with friends in the evening; get home at midnight; start writing at 12:30 a.m.; and fall asleep when the sun comes up.
If you had to blurb your own book, what would you say?
Yesterday, my dad told me what he wants to put on his eventual gravestone: “HE TRIED HIS BEST; HE HOPES IT WAS ENOUGH.” I think that applies.
Describe a moment when you lost faith. What would you tell that younger writer?
I lose faith in myself as a writer every time I write anything. The advice I try to give myself is, “Remember that this happens literally every time!!!!” It’s hard because no feeling remembers another feeling. Once, I recorded a video of myself at the lowest point of writing an essay (that one ended up working out). Now, I watch it whenever I feel hopeless to remember that I’ve been through the cycle before.
What’s one word or phrase that you find yourself using (or over-using) in your work right now?
It’s not even fun: “Strange and sad.” I guess I like the alliteration? I realized recently that I described like six things in my book as “strange and sad.”
What do you think your generation should read more—and less—of?
More stuff that was written over 75 years ago. Less micro-essays rehashing a discourse of the week.
What’s the most romantic part of living as a writer? The least romantic?
The most romantic part is that you meet a lot of romantic people. The least romantic part is that I have developed a neck hump from computer usage.
Where do you buy your books?
McNally Jackson, Spoonbill & Sugartown, and ThriftBooks.
Describe a “lowbrow” reading indulgence of yours.
I love really rich women’s blog posts about the makeup they buy. Or about anything, really. And I could read a million gift guides.
This feature is part of the inaugural Young Writers list in collaboration with Montblanc. You can peruse the rest of the participants here.
in your life?
