Patrick Schiefen joins Literary Shanghai to read and discuss his spirited new poetry collection. “If You Know, You Know” examines the small moments in life that remind us that the ephemeral lives we live shape enduring stories of what it means to be human.

The poems acknowledge and live within the hardships while also celebrating the euphoria that makes living worthwhile. They show us that we can learn from the world’s errors to create our own evolving truth.

Patrick Schiefen is a writer from upstate New York who currently writes and performs in Shanghai, China. His writing is greatly influenced by topics of identity and sexuality and aims to build community through his writing. His pieces tend to blend his childhood love for pop lyricism with the more conscious elements of poetry. His work has appeared in various publications both inside and outside of China. “If You Know, You Know” is his first collection.