James Patrick Bartley, an author from Oak Park, Chicagoland, Illinois, was born in 2005 with a passion for writing. Spending most of his time as a child penning stories was his favorite activity. He wrote childhood fanfiction with a mysterious quirk portraying his mischievous and playful side. He scribbled a plethora of small comic books based on his interests or random ideas that struck him. As he grew older, that pastime evolved into a significant aspect of the person he is today. He is the author of his story who wants to share it with all those willing to listen.
Famously known as Robin James Bartley, he is currently a senior at Oak Park River Forest High School, on track to graduate with high school honor roll all three years and attend college at Colorado State University. Robin is pansexual, revealing his identity to his parents in middle school, and is an LGBTQ+ community member. He has two younger siblings, a brother, and a sister, and his parents divorced when he was 9. Robin has won a Silver Medal in the 2020 Water Polo Boys Junior Olympics and is a Varsity water polo player.
He also volunteered at the Mural at Brooks to honor the school’s namesake, where students and adult volunteers installed public art for the late poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the famous Chicago poet and first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize (for her 1949 volume, Annie Allen).
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His writing collection
Robin had always been geared towards writing and creating stories. His spark in writing led him to become a full-time author and begin a flourishing career at the early age of 16. He also wishes to be a therapist for teenage and young adults.
“The world can be a hard place to fit into, especially financially, but there’s a place for everybody, and I hope I’ve found mine. It is difficult as an artist to fit in and stand out from others.”
Starting to write books as a child and eventually moving on to novels, Robin is already catching attention through his work. He’s written short stories, a collection of anthologies, and has worked on a few side projects. His work is not just about stringing words together; it’s something that resonates with the reader long after. Even as a young author, he possesses a deep understanding of human nature and is able to tap into their emotions. Each piece of his writing is an incredibly rewarding read.
Robin’s anthology books, A Robins Anthology, A Moths Anthology, and A Turtle’s Anthology, published in 2022, are filled with his own short stories, many of which are based on his life experiences, particularly as an LGBTQ+ community member who deals with clinical depression, anxiety and body dysphoria as a swimmer/water polo player.
In his novel, Crimson, also published in 2022 and available on Amazon, the protagonist struggles with PTSD, which causes anxiety. In fact, Crimson, in very early conception, was a fan fiction-type story based on a video game series called Dark Souls that Robin enjoyed at that time.
Currently, besides pursuing writing, Robin has been a swim instructor for almost two years. His work is available on Amazon for a read. He also has his website and social media accounts for readers to know more about him.
