A Conversation with Hayley Fionna | Snail Mail Clubs, Poetry, and French Culture
In our Spring 2026 edition, we accepted and published our first translated works, one of them being a poem called, Before it Becomes a Memory by poet and artists Hayley Fionna.
Upon creating the content and community with that edition, I have to know and love Hayley’s content and her snail mail club, Poésie Perdue. With that, I reached out to have a conversation with her about her writing, her art, and her mail club. Read more about her, and become invested just as this editor-in-chief has.
Hayley’s Bio on the Poésie Perdue Website:
Hayley Fionna is a poet, artist, and founder of Poésie Perdue, a slow-living art and poetry project that celebrates love, memory, and the beauty of things left behind. Through mailed poems, hand-touched prints, and nostalgic design, Hayley invites readers to pause—to rediscover the intimacy of words that travel by post. Her work blends English and French, exploring what it means to be known, to belong, and to build a family through art and story.
Could you tell me a bit about your background? Where you’re from, how you learned French, where you went to school (if you did) and what you like to do in your free time?
My name is Hayley Fionna, and I grew up in the Midwest. I believed that I was French since I was little. When I was told that I wasn’t, I cried a lot. However, it did not stop my love of anything French. I did start college later in life. I did not think about anything French for the longest time. I was thinking of going into business management. During the first week of orientation, there were departments with their tables talking about their specialties. I found integrated studies. It is a program for undergraduates to combine majors. I then found out I could study the French language. It was a no brainer, and I immediately switched majors. I did French language and business management. I had to write an undergraduate thesis of why I combined two majors and what I would do.
In my free time, I just create art and read a shit ton of books. I mostly gravitate towards translated works.
How did you come up with the idea of your snail mail club, Poésie Perdue? What were the first steps in starting this project?
Back in February of 2024, I signed up for my first snail mail. It brought me so much joy, that I thought why can I not try to do this. I fell for poetry a few years ago when I started writing poetry about my kids. I loved how it felt short, sweet and to the point. But you could also feel so much at the same time. I started playing around with words and I loved the idea of poetry being lost and then found.
When I first began poésie perdue, I followed Brittney Wilder’s guide of starting a snail mail club, it took about a month and a half to get it all ready to go and run with it.
How do you come up with every month’s mail?
I usually have a feeling that I want to sit with and understand a little bit more. I want to communicate what I am feeling and just hoping other people feel the same way.
Is it just you? Or do you have supporting artists that help you with this?
It is all me! I do all of the art and the poetry every single month. This year, I talked about two different poets and how they inspired a poem for that month.
What writing projects (or any creative projects) do you work on outside of Poésie Perdue?
Outside of the snail mail, I create commissions, art prints, poetry and art books that are hand-bound, and petite études in oil pastel, water color, and charcoal.
What does your writing process look like and does your writing affect your art/snail mail club? Or vice versa?
I work full-time during the week and take care of my family, so most of my creative work happens on weekends or late at night when my mind won’t quiet down.
My writing and sketches are deeply connected. They inform each other constantly. Sometimes a poem comes first, sometimes an image, but they always end up in the right place
What books, films, or music inspire you the most when it comes to creating art? Which ones have shaped you as an artist and writer over the years?
I’m especially drawn to translated literature and essayists, and I’ve recently been exploring more philosophical work as well.
Musically, I’ve been obsessed with LUX by Rosalía, along with various French artists. Visually and creatively, Orion Carloto has had a strong influence on me. Her work in photography and poetry really shaped my early interest in poetry, especially through her books Film for Her and Flux.
I’m also fascinated by Rococo art and culture, and I’ve been diving deeper into the history of French salons.
What about France and French culture do you find romantic? Do you find it to be the most romantic?
I find it hard to choose just one element. The French language itself feels inherently beautiful, but what fascinates me even more is how it functions in translation—how meaning shifts, softens, or deepens across languages. I follow many French creators, as well as Americans who share this same obsession, and through them I’ve come to see how layered the culture really is.
At one point, French was a universal language, shaping diplomacy, art, cuisine, and literature across Europe and beyond. Because of that, it carries a kind of historical weight—an inherited elegance. I think much of what we perceive as “romantic” is tied not just to the sound of the language, but to its influence on how we imagine beauty, intimacy, and expression
How far has this snail mail club come? And is there anything you’d like to reveal about your plans for the future?
It’s grown more than I ever expected. Right now, I’m working on two new art books, along with several projects that I plan to reveal next year. Ultimately, I’m working toward the point where I can devote myself to this full.
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To follow Hayley on her journey, you can find her personal profile here. To join the Poésie Perdue mail club, you can follow their social media pages and find the link to join!
