An Interview with Author Jason Leonard
An interview with author-poet, Jason Leonard, whose book In Shadows is out now.
Tell us something about your book. The basics: what’s it about?
In Shadows is a book of poems, chap book if technical terms suit your fancy. I wrote the book in my early 20’s so there some popular themes there, i.e. struggling with relationships, self-esteem, love, etc., etc.
How did you come to self-publish? Did you try to get published traditionally?
I did not try and find a traditional publisher. While it was a ton of work, I learned a great deal about publishing and it made […]
This small book of narrative poems offers a mix of subject matter, from tales based on or inspired by traditional folktales, such as the River King from African folklore, to tales that provide modern social commentary. Some of the poems are disturbing: traditional tales of murder and revenge, and modern ones that deal with Internet predators, sexual tourism, necklacing (a form of vigilante execution in which a tire is filled with gasoline, placed around the torso of the victim, trapping hands and arms, and then set alight), and formal justice gone bad. But not all of the pieces are heavy. […]