RS Deeren

"The Emotional Truth of an Experience:" An Interview with Valencia Robin - Chicago Review of Books A conversation with Valencia Robin on her new poetry collection, "Lost Cities"

"What’s important to me isn’t to capture an experience so much as the emotional truth of an experience."

@rsdeeren.bsky.social's interview with Valencia Robin on her new book “Lost Cities: Poems” (Persea Books) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2025/09/12/t...

"The Emotional Truth of an Experience:" An Interview with Valencia Robin - Chicago Review of Books A conversation with Valencia Robin on her new poetry collection, "Lost Cities"

I had the joy of speaking with Valencia Robin on her newest poetry collection, LOST CITIES, for @chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
Check out the brilliant insight below. Thanks to Gabriel Fried for putting us in contact.

Such an honor to be from a state that has a huge love for its own authors and books.

What a great interview Mitch gave. He is such a deep reader. EtL has a 2nd birthday tomorrow@

An absolute gem of a collection! Celebrating its 2nd birthday tomorrow

Preorders are live for this major anthology edited by Michael Welch. I am always stoked for work that shows honest aspects of the Midwest, especially the Great Lakes Region. Honored to be in these pages.

Read the headline in some feed and came straight here

I'm from Michigan's Thumb and I support this.

The team at Wayne State UP have told me that online sales of ENOUGH TO LOSE are still climbing. I don't know what is contributing to this boom 18 months after the book came out but I'm extremely grateful! My neighbor even told me she got a copy!

I like mine with lettuce and tomatah!

Real honored to sit down with Mitch at KicksART Farmington to discuss class, writing fiction, rural spaces, and of course THE THUMB. Coming this August!

Excellent!

And it's a brilliant piece!

I'll be discussing thr working-class, my book, and answering your questions live! See you there.

Wreckage and the Hollywood sign for the Poetry in Woods #AWP25 hike.

They got totes, at least. Had leftover KC pins, too.

Started of #AWP25 right with eight street tacos and poetry talk with a fellow Thumbody.

They got totes! #APW

This may be my first #AWP with bluesky. I'm hoping to get fives of reactions to my silly posts.

Excited for a handful of working-class panels!

I had another chance to speak with a wonderful poet. Gabriel Fried's recent collection is stunning, halting, and fantastic!

Great book. Great conversation!

Just finished an upcoming poetry collection: NO SMALL THING by Gabriel Fried.
Reading THE ENTIRE SKY by Joe Wilkins. Good novel.

Oh yeah, forgot: this is my first ever CNF pub!

Tag them here and I'll add them!

Thanks so much, Francesca!

Excited to work with the stellar editor @mbwwelch.bsky.social

Thrilling Sunday news! I wrote a creative nonfiction piece that started as a memory of playing in the woods that quickly turned into a 150-year history of exploitation of stolen land in Michigan's Thumb. Excited for this essay to be at home in this anthology.

Out next year from Belt Publishing!

Always a pleasure to work with great authors for the great editors at ChiRB!

I had the chance to talk to @rsdeeren.bsky.social about the journalism-fiction intersection, Michigan lit and other cool stuff.

John Counts had brilliant things to say about rural life, work, and writing. It was amazing getting to speak with him!