Masked Instagram poet Atticus seeks authenticity in his anonymity

The poet know as Atticus is pictured in Toronto, on Wednesday October 3, 2018, as he promotes his book "The Dark Between Stars". (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young)

TORONTO -- Instagram poet Atticus is an outsider in the pantheon of incognito artists who conceal their faces.

He doesn't subscribe to the rebel conviction of Banksy, a graffiti virtuoso who sank into the abyss of his hooded sweatshirt to hide from authorities.

And he isn't celebrating a flamboyant alter-ego, like robot duo Daft Punk or candy-headed producer Marshmello who thrive on concert stages.

Atticus, who hides behind a Guy Fawkes mask, says he's looking for the kind of anonymity that opens the gates to greater creativity. But this might seem contrary to the way he's chasing those artistic pursuits -- through a very public persona with nearly 1 million Instagram followers and two bestselling books of poetry.

You can almost feel the inevitable conflict that's creeping up on Atticus as he becomes more famous and finds support from celebrities, including actress Emma Roberts, singer Alicia Keys, and supermodel Karlie Kloss.

Writing under a pseudonym almost begs curious readers to seek out who's behind the curtain -- and people have been trying to uncover the person behind Atticus for several years.

Some speculated he was Shawn Mendes at one point, the British Columbia-raised author said, and while they were wrong, others came much closer to the right answer when they pointed to some of the writer's best friends. Ultimately, the debate only added to the aura surrounding his identity.

But in September a rival poet took a more drastic step by attempting to expose Atticus online, suggesting he was a former reality TV star.

Atticus bristles when asked about the rumours.

"I won't not confirm nor deny," he said in an interview at the offices of his book publisher, where he didn't wear a mask.

"People can say whatever they like. It doesn't matter who I am. It's not about that. People who think it's about that have missed it entirely."

Atticus usually conducts his off-camera interviews with his Fawkes mask tucked away and his coiffed blond hair and scruffy face on full display. He describes himself as being in his late 20s.

He recognizes it's inevitable his real name will eventually get out there, but he's confident that his fans will prefer the mystery.

"My people are the people who don't want to know," he said.

"I could be anybody and whoever they need me to be. I think there's something powerful in that."

For people who haven't encountered Atticus online, it's important to understand he exists in a very particular corner of the literary universe. His social media persona gives him carte blanche to write sound-bite poetry that pops up on Instagram feeds between the usual selfies and cat photos.

That gives his readers a freedom to project their own perspectives onto his words. At once he's the perfect boyfriend, the shadow of a long lost partner, or a complete enigma who lingers in every poem.

His latest book "The Dark Between the Stars" takes those one-liners and juxtaposes them against black and white photographs of anonymous lovers and backdrops of shorelines and starry skies:

"The doubters / are just dreamers / with broken hearts."

It's an approach some of his critics say reveals the shallowness of his poetry. But Atticus is also undeniably popular and praised by others who admire how he writes relatable experiences in concise prose.

Atticus said finding the right words is easier knowing that his readers aren't judging him on his actual identity. He sometimes refers to Atticus as a separate person, as if he's a character in a romance novel.

"The mask certainly helps me be more vulnerable," he said.

"Our society and our culture definitely pushes that away from men -- any sort of vulnerability."

The poet said he writes from both masculine and feminine perspectives and immerses himself in the possibilities of lives he's never led. For instance, he will "try to really think about what it would be like to be an old woman who's losing the love of her life after 50 years."

"It's kind of a creative outlet," he said. "I try to put a clear boundary between myself and Atticus."

He's inspired by the messages he receives from fans, who are sometimes young women dealing with loneliness and depression. He said he relates to their struggles because he faced similar ones growing up in B.C. in the late 1990s.

"You're just a sad teenager and your parents put you in therapy or just try to do whatever they can to help you. Some things work and some things don't," he said.

"People think you're kind of broken or need to be medicated or whatever."

"So when these people message me and say they're sad, I have a lot of empathy for 'em," he added.

Atticus plans to explore those ideas further as he branches out of poetry with a novel that's still in early development stages.

"It's something I've been thinking about for a long time -- a love story as it relates to Atticus makes the most sense," he said.

But he doesn't want to take Atticus too far away from his roots. He still plans to keep his anonymity even as others doggedly pressure him to shed it.

"I'll forever wear the mask," he said, nothing that he could eventually slip on custom-made variations on his current appearance.

"For me, it's more about that symbol."