Rachel Sobylya

Dear River Rachel Sobylya

Dear River is separated into two sections: The South and Everywhere Else. The poems in the first section of the chapbook are written in an unhurried narrative format, while those in the latter half flow at a busier pace. Though separate, the two sections work together in an intricate interdependency. The poems explore the ideas of place, reconciling the past with the present, idealizing things that were, and the nuances of relationships. They recognize the imperfections of memory and the concomitant, haunting tendency of human nature to gloss over past occurrences. They attempt to create understanding and significance from such duality. The poems are at once familiar and unfamiliar, comforting and discomforting, thought-provoking yet surprisingly simple. Readers will develop a new appreciation for the landscapes and the ways of the South and Appalachia, and they will find warmth in the tenderness and honesty with which the poet addresses these ideas.