Small Town Dispatches: Robin Gow
by Robin GowWelcome to Small Town Dispatches, a new feature on The Peak that recognizes the efforts of sustaining a writing practice in places with unconventional resources. Writing can be deeply isolating, especially when you live outside of cities that are seen as cultural epicenters. So here, Special Features Editor Nadeen Kharputly interviews Shenandoah contributors to gain insights about what it’s like to live in small towns (and towns that feel small): rural areas, college towns, islands, hamlets, and more.
Town: Breinigsville, PA
Bio: Robin Gow (they/fae/it pronouns) is a trans poet and witch author from rural Pennsylvania. Fae is the author of several poetry books, an essay collection, YA, and middle-grade novels in verse, including A Million Quiet Revolutions (FSG Books for Young Readers, 2022).
Tell us about your small town—how small is it?
I live in Breinigsville which is a small town in Pennsylvania. We're mostly farmland with houses spread apart. The population is about 7,000.
What makes your town a unique place for your writing practice?
I really love the different nature areas like Rodale Park and the beautiful rolling fields. There is so much Pennsylvania agricultural history here as well. Many of the farms are historic and protected because they were some of the earliest farms in the state. Looking out at the corn and seeing fireflies rise from the fields in the summer is one of my favorite moments.
Do you have a favorite writing spot?
I mostly just write at home because I'm not the best at writing out in the world (I have ADHD so it's hard to focus) but I do take notes that I turn into poems on my morning walks. I follow the corn field roads. Most days I see deer, foxes, and herons in the creeks. I feel like these are local spirits here that send me creative inspiration all the time.
How do you build community with other writers or creatives in your town?
I struggle to build community in my town. I mostly travel to nearby cities unfortunately. I think my biggest barrier more locally is being a transgender person. I'm not always sure if people are going to be welcoming. I've had some difficult situations in my small town which is sad, but it is just a reality trans people are facing right now in the United States.
What do you appreciate most about where you live?
I appreciate the way living near fields and agriculture makes me feel keenly aware of the seasons and the bounty that each offers. The quiet is also really wonderful for someone like me who has a lot of sensory sensitivities. I struggled a lot when I lived in the city because I could never find quiet.
What are some of the challenges of living there?
The biggest challenges for me are finding queer community and also communicating the kind of work I do. I write queer books for kids and so some people inherently assume that's political so it can sometimes be hard to talk about my life to people I meet.