Robin Reid Drake (she/they) grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina with roots stretching from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. They moved to Chicago to earn their MFA from SAIC and have called the city home ever since. As a poet and artist, they believe in the healing power of the horror genre and wield it to investigate their role in America's story of people, power and place. As an educator, Robin has over 10 years of experience working in community spaces, public schools and colleges. They were named a Windy City Times' 30 Under 30 in 2019 for their collaboration with artist, Diana Solís, on an art & poetry curriculum teaching intersectional Queer & Trans histories in CPS high schools. If Robin had to be any creature other than the creature they already are, they would be an orb weaver spider so they could keep writing.