Rob's work is a looking glass that opens to his lived experience. His poems tug at the heart of the reader, and ask poignant questions that only a poet who has lived many lives can ask. What I am most inspired by is Rob's willingness to lean into the discomfort of his lived trauma, to pull from it what is useful, giving agency and voice to his inner child. "Nobody can tell you how to shape your lived experience", is what Rob said to me in a poetry workshop. His words have remained with me and continue to shape my impression of and my respect for this fine steward of the written word. I am not sure what will become of this world, but I am comforted knowing that I share space and time with poets like Rob Yates. James Baldwin once said, "The role of the artist is to disturb the peace." I believe Rob is and will continue doing just that.
Clarence Carvel (Albury), Editor, Mikrokosmos, Author, random thoughts in a spring
"Step into the captivating world of 'Son of God' by Rob Yates, where contemporary Midwestern life intertwines with echoes of the past, creating a poignant narrative that resonates deeply with readers. With lyrical prose and insightful storytelling, Yates masterfully explores the complexities of human existence, weaving together themes of love, loss, and the promise of redemption. Through his evocative writing, Yates invites us to reflect on our own journeys, as we navigate life's unpredictable twists and turns. In one poem, Yates beautifully captures the complicated essence of our shared lives, declaring, 'Our wounds did a waltz, ' a hauntingly poetic reminder of the interconnectedness of our pain and healing. 'Son of God' is a soul-stirring journey."
Darren DeFrain, Ph.D.
Author of The Salt Palace and Inside & Out
"I didn't grow up in Kansas, but while reading Rob Yates' Son of God I got singed by the prairie fire realism of his plain-spoken verse, transported to a place where he was born in 1982 'in a part of Kansas that stayed in 1958' in poems where 'pain is a time machine.' He confronts the oppression of growing up in a religious world his verse attempts to escape, but instead he has drinks with these demons and looks to guiding future generations toward independence from the dogmas of the past. These poems are new generation prayers and meditations that expose truths with humor and hard-fought wisdom in a collection that will resonate with many."
-Kevin Ridgeway, author of
Too Young to Know (Stubborn Mule Press)
and
Invasion of the Shadow People (Luchador Press)
