Shakira Croce's debut poetry book, Leave It Raw, is grounded in the elemental forces while observing the otherworldly possibilities of human creativity. The poems explore the nuances of sexuality, marriage, motherhood, the arts, and ambition, speaking to relationships' potential to hurt and heal. As one poem reads: "We weave the most incredible plait,/ and leave it raw,/ unsewn straw running across tile." Each story offers bits of experience that provide an intimate glimpse of the intricacies of life. Croce is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York. A Georgia native, after studying writing at Sarah Lawrence College and completing a Master's at Pace University, she currently works as Assistant Director of Communications and Public Relations at New York's largest Medicaid Special Needs Health Plan, Amida Care. Croce's poetry translations have appeared in Babel magazine, and her poetry has been featured in several literary magazines and journals, including the New Ohio Review, Pilgrimage Press, Permafrost Magazine, HIV Here & Now, Transactions, Ducts, pioneertown, and Shark Reef. She was a featured reader in the Boundless Tales Reading Series, and she was a finalist in the Linda Flowers Literary Award competition.