About Me
A writer shaped by the Delta, committed to telling the truth
I'm Robert L. Arnold.
A writer, poet, speaker, and activist raised in the Mississippi Delta and shaped by the stories, struggles, and stubborn beauty of the South. My work lives at the crossroads of art, politics, and memory. I write because it's the clearest way I know to tell the truth… even when it's complicated, uncomfortable, or inconvenient.
I'm not interested in building a brand or playing a role. I care about saying something that matters. I care about working people, about justice, about the weight of history, and about making sense of the world we've inherited so we can leave behind something better. I believe in honesty, in decency, in writing with bite and soul … and in leaving room for grace without letting cruelty off the hook.
Whether I'm speaking, writing essays, or just listening to someone's story, my goal is the same: clarity without pretension, courage without cruelty, and truth without apology.
My Work & Approach
Writing
Essays, poetry, and prose that explore the intersection of personal experience and political reality. Work that aims to make sense of our complicated world without losing sight of its beauty.
Speaking
Conversations about art, activism, and authentic voice. Speaking engagements that prioritize honest dialogue over polished performance, real connection over empty rhetoric.
Teaching
Workshops and mentoring focused on finding your true voice as a writer. Teaching that emphasizes craft, purpose, and the courage to tell difficult truths with grace.
Background
Roots in the Delta
Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, a place where history runs deep and contradictions are part of daily life. This landscape and its people have shaped everything I write—the rhythms, the stories, the understanding that beauty and pain often occupy the same space.
Literary Journey
My work has appeared in various literary magazines and journals. I've been honored to read at universities, bookstores, and community centers across the country. Each reading is a conversation, each essay an attempt to bridge the gap between experience and understanding.
Activist Heart
Writing and activism aren't separate pursuits—they're two sides of the same commitment to truth and justice. My work advocates for working people, challenges systems of oppression, and insists that literature has a role to play in creating a more just world.
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you believe atrocities."
-Voltaire