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Poetry as Medicine: A Conversation With Poet Leisly Roman about her Latest Collection
21 Plays5 days ago
Poetry and mental health intersect beautifully in this conversation with award-winning poet Leisly Roman about her seasonal poetry collection that guides intentional living and personal growth. Her latest book "All That a Season Can Carry (In Me)" is organized by seasons to help readers explore the emotional landscapes of winter, spring, summer, and fall while understanding how their inner world connects to nature.
What we cover:
- How seasons guide self-reflection, healing, and intentional living throughout the year
- Winter as an opportunity for peace and quiet self-reflection instead of just depression and darkness
- Moving intentionally through seasons instead of carrying the same goals and guilt all year long
About Our Guest: Leisly Roman is an award-winning Dominican American poet and mental health advocate from New York City. Her debut bilingual collection "Living in Phases" explores mental health journey with honesty. Her latest work uses poetry to help readers connect their emotional experiences to nature's rhythms and find healing through self-reflection.
The book shows that each season offers different emotional and spiritual opportunities. Winter brings rest and self-discovery. Spring brings growth. Summer brings action. Fall brings completion. When you move intentionally through seasons, you let go of what each season teaches before carrying it into the next.
Subscribe. Share. Remember that your inner world connects to the world around you and moving intentionally through seasons helps you let go of weight you've been carrying all year.
Small steps, big healing. Keep growing! ✨
Join the conversation! Which season are you in emotionally right now? DM me on Instagram!
📖 Get Leisly's Books:
All That a Season Can Carry (In Me)
💌 Follow Leisly:
💬 LET'S CONNECT:
Instagram | TikTok | Growing with Sol Podcast
Mari's Book List: https://bookshop.org/shop/Marisol-Book-List
🌱 LET’S GROW TOGETHER: Schedule your discovery call
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Transcript
Introduction to Gorn with Soul
00:00:01
Speaker
Hello, beautiful soul, and welcome back to the Gorn with Soul podcast, where we explore the moments and stories that shape who we're becoming.
Real Conversations on Self-Discovery
00:00:08
Speaker
i'm Marisol, and this is where I love to have real conversations about growth, self-discovery, and learning to put yourself first Whether we're diving into books that change our perspective or unpacking personal experiences that teach us something new, this podcast is for women who are done playing small and ready to embrace their own journey.
Overcoming Self-Doubt
00:00:28
Speaker
If you've struggled with putting everybody else first or battled self-doubt, then you're in the right place. This isn't about perfection. It's about the messy, beautiful process of growing into yourself.
00:00:38
Speaker
So come grow with me.
Meet Leslie Roman
00:00:40
Speaker
I am super excited for today's episode because I get to speak with the lovely Leslie Roman, poet extraordinaire, a wonderful human being, absolute delight. um And i'm I'm very lucky that I get to see her at least once a year when she comes to the a LA Festival of Books where I met her, you know, meeting a celebrity.
00:01:01
Speaker
um So to introduce you to Leslie, if you are not familiar with her and her work, she is an award-winning Dominican American writer and mental health advocate. She is a born and raised in New York City, the eldest daughter of Dominican immigrant parents.
00:01:17
Speaker
Her award-winning debut bilingual poetry collection, Living in Phases, highlights the phases of a mental health journey, giving space to both its highs and its lows.
Leslie's Poetry Journey
00:01:28
Speaker
She is passionate about using her poetry to encourage readers to reflect on and explore all that must be learned or unlearned in their journeys of self-growth and healing, which heard, completely understand, Her poetry has been published in various literary magazines, including Flair Magazine, Wishbone Words, The Beautiful Space, and Gypsophila Magazine.
00:01:49
Speaker
Her latest collection is All That a Season Can Carry in Me. So, hi, Leslie. How are you doing? hello Hello, everyone. Beautiful people, beautiful souls.
00:02:00
Speaker
I'm doing good. How are you? I am good. Very excited to speak with you. um and Yeah, I'm just, i'm like I mentioned, I'm always excited to talk to you. And it feels like, to be very transparent, it feels like a little pinch me moment.
00:02:17
Speaker
Because if you would have told like 12-year-old Marisol, she would be doing a little podcast with a published award-winning poet, I would have been like, you're a liar. Yeah. I, but if i have if you would have told 12 year, I mean, you could tell, I just, my birthday was just this past March. If you would have told 29 year old Leslie that like she is an award-winning poet ah and that she's on podcast episodes, which is wild. um I still would have been like, nah.
00:02:43
Speaker
yeah And here we are. Yeah, here we are And I'm, I read your first book, you know, back when it first came out and I feel like this second collection is a is almost like a a deeper, like ah like sinking into that notion of how everything is always shifting and changing.
00:03:06
Speaker
In a way, and like there's always, there's always movement. There's always something that is growing. There's always something that we're learning or unlearning. so there's always this sort of momentum, even though it doesn't feel like it.
00:03:20
Speaker
and so I really appreciate how like you had living in phases and now we have a whole book essentially dedicated ah to the seasons and the year and almost like time in a way. And yeah using that as a reflection of the self. Yeah.
00:03:36
Speaker
Yeah, with this collection, I... So first of all, like, obviously, like, I'm first and foremost, you know, primarily a mental health advocate, and most of my writing revolves around that um topic or, you know, various subtopics within it. But, like, one of my greatest, like, inspirations and muses and kind of, like...
00:03:56
Speaker
Like, safe spaces, almost, even just to write and to create, not even just to write about, um is nature. And I really wanted, like... I had been toying with like different ideas for a new collection. And I think with this one, um i really wanted to kind of just highlight that something that like is like that I build my writing around
Seasons as Metaphors
00:04:18
Speaker
a lot. Like I write, you know, when when fall comes, which is my favorite season, I am like so excited to start like cranking out like my fall and autumn poems and and like my little short short writings and things. And I just I found that, you know, being in New York, where I was born and raised, as you said,
00:04:34
Speaker
um The seasons like carry a lot, like just even just in the city. And I realized that there's a lot that um like a lot of emotions and experiences that are kind of pretty like universal, almost so to speak, within each seasons. And I thought that with this collection, I could really um use that as kind of like inspiration for um writing that kind of really like revolves around what we feel like all the different things that we can experience um within one year um which you know you would think like yeah of course you know it's 365 days there's so much time to like experience so many things but I think there's there's almost like um
00:05:18
Speaker
a uniformity like within everybody like there are certain times of the year where everyone is kind of going through the same or very similar things um and I thought like I could really turn that into some kind of you know really resonating like poetry collection um that's what I tried to do 100% on that last part, especially, because I don't know what it is about getting older.
00:05:43
Speaker
but every year, it seems like it seems like time is just one giant blob being smushed further together. and but also, like, it goes by in an instant. Like, how are we already in June?
00:05:57
Speaker
like That was crazy to me. Yes. I feel like I just saw you back in April. In April, I know. What happened? but they that But that's so true because I feel like, and again, this is just me. Maybe people out there relate.
00:06:13
Speaker
But I feel like time is going by so quickly the older I get. and I am not progressing or shifting the way i want quickly enough to keep up with time. Does that make sense? Yeah.
00:06:26
Speaker
I think yeah that is another thing. You know, that is that in and and of itself, like, um am i moving at the right pace? Like, if you know, you know. am i where I want to be or have I progressed enough? um And I think even just like during the year, like, you know we you you know, winter passes and spring passes, you know, summer, fall, and then we get back to winter again.
Winter: Reflection and Peace
00:06:50
Speaker
It's the end of the year. It's the holiday season. I think that contributes a lot to like, what have I done this year? Like, what have I accomplished? What do I still need to do? Do I have time to do it? um And I think that that's when a lot of the, the you know, the universal almost feelings of like,
00:07:06
Speaker
like almost isolation or, you know, seasonal depression comes in. i you know, I think that these are experiences that people um don't realize are very much connected to like our outside world. You know, our inner world is very much connected to our outside world.
00:07:24
Speaker
Yes. And i I really appreciated how in this collection we see that because it is set up in that it you do enter every section of the book of the collection with the season.
00:07:36
Speaker
will end starting off with winter, And again, maybe this is just me and my own mental health. But like starting off with winter just made sense to me. And I was just like, okay, cool.
00:07:50
Speaker
And I really liked how your take on winter was a bit different than what like readers tend to get in in literature. Because usually you associate winter with like death, with things being barren, with like not much life.
00:08:11
Speaker
And it's almost sad, even though it's the holiday season as well. But there's always something a little bit sad and almost void-like about winter and the winter space.
00:08:23
Speaker
I like that void-like. Yeah. That's part of it, though, because I feel like it was acknowledged, but there was also so much about, again, with the self-reflecting within the poetry of, like, self-acceptance, almost.
00:08:38
Speaker
Like, there was this, like, it's dark, it's a little bleak, and this is how I feel, and it's not great. But this is just me. That was a part of it. And I thought it was i thought it was really beautiful because I was just like, yes, because I feel like personally I've been on that journey of like, OK, well, I'm not a happy go lucky bubbly person and I never have been.
00:09:08
Speaker
So I'm 36 now almost. And it's like, it's never going to happen. admit You know? well let's not say that. Oh, it's never going to happen. That's not who I am.
00:09:23
Speaker
But I really liked how it was a a bit a bit of a different take on winter itself. And usually we see winter as like one thing within media and literature. Yeah, I think I really tried to, like I said, like I really tried to kind of hone in on all of those very common experiences that people go through. But I did want to like use each season as kind of
Leslie's Seasonal Collection
00:09:46
Speaker
like...
00:09:47
Speaker
a self-reflective type um you know every so the way the collection is structured for anyone who hasn't read it is it's there's four chapters every chapter is dedicated to a season um and even in the table of contents i kind of give a a brief glimpse of what i intend for the or or how i wrote each of the pieces in there um and what i kind of wanted to reflect and i did i think in like i feel include those like very you know, stereotypical, so to speak, like emotions that come along with winter, like, you know, darkness, you know, the sunsets earlier, isolation, people are home more, um it's too cold to go out, all those things. But I also thought, like, I think that the, the you know, the winter, the weather in the winter, um the atmosphere in the winter, even just the, like, the way that we kind of
00:10:42
Speaker
survive in the winter, so to speak. Like, I think there are a lot of opportunities to feel peace, to feel like, to enjoy quietness, um, to kind of have like moments of alone time and self-reflecting. And I don't think that that's not necessarily like not appreciated, but I don't think that that's, um, kind of like the standout experiences that people connect to with winter but i do think that like winter for you know since we're on on that season i do think that that is like there are opportunities for very like positive experiences to kind of cope with um and even like combat those less positive like feelings like that quite like you know loneliness but like
00:11:31
Speaker
You know, sometimes that that time alone with ourselves is very necessary. It's very, like, healing, beneficial. um And so I wanted to, much like with my first collection, i did I did want to give space to, like, both sides. Like, yeah, like, most people don't like the sun setting earlier. Most people don't like the dark. Most people hate the snow, the cold.
00:11:51
Speaker
But, like, what else do we gain from winter that kind of sets us up for the rest of the year, the rest of the seasons? Was there any other season, like i maybe during the writing process, that you really connected with or that really stood out to you during the writing process? Yeah.
00:12:15
Speaker
Definitely, I want to say fall it and spring, maybe more so fall. i am like Fall is my favorite season. um Like I mentioned earlier, I love, love, love writing about like the autumn and you know all the things that kind of come with that that season um but I feel like there was especially with my intention with this collection I feel like I had a lot to write about um in the spring chapter I feel like I really wanted I felt like I really wanted this collection to be different um
00:12:50
Speaker
in that I really wanted it to maybe resonate with like even just like a broader audience. This collection is not bilingual, like my first one, which is fine. um And it is set um primarily like in New York City, which obviously not everybody lives in or even has been to or visited. ah But I think the the subtopics for the spring and the autumn chapter, I think were the ones that I really wanted to focus on and kind of help people feel seen and and like understood or connected to. tomb
00:13:28
Speaker
yeah Yeah, I could definitely see that. I do think that as a reader, there is like you're going to attach yourself to one season. i feel like when i read Winter Owls, I girl, you get me. both You know, i am currently in the summer portion and there was one poem about like the sun and like the sun just like beating down on you. try to remember like the wording of it, but I was just like,
00:13:55
Speaker
Yeah, like there was a part where it was like, like the sunburned skin one, where it's like a little too much A little too much sun. And I was just like, mm-hmm. You know, it was just so funny because i personally, again, then when I look at myself through the poetry and like make my, it makes me reflect.
00:14:11
Speaker
I think about how I don't quite fit a lot of things that are put on to like the type of person or like the like astrology type of stuff like I'm a summer baby i was born in June like I'm a cancer and it's like oh the beach the sun the heat and I'm just like I hate all of that yeah that is not my vibe at all and like I'm in LA it's like of course you're gonna go to the beach was like I do not like the sand it little i It's like, no, thank you.
00:14:45
Speaker
I think the last time I went to the beach was like five years ago. And like, and I live in Los Angeles. Girl, I live in l LA and haven't gone to the beach in like five years. That's love thats so something. That's what I'm saying. So like when I read that part, that specific poem, and I was just like, yeah.
00:15:01
Speaker
And now I'm getting older. So I'm like, I need a hat I'm wearing long sleeves when I walk my dog. You're so funny. Oh, Mochi. Yeah. But I think that's, I don't know, maybe maybe this is like ah a bias or like just a perspective bias that maybe we have as individuals. because I feel like we resonate in a lot of different things because I do, i often find myself going back to that portion of time moving too quickly and not progressing and then also like once you get to the end of the year you're now in winter there's a part of you that's like okay i need to be slowing down but it's the end of the year so i need to like speed up and like make sure i'm doing everything i need to do for work before vacation i need to buy all the presents i need to decorate and like whatever else needs to happen for the holidays so
00:15:53
Speaker
For a lot of people, and especially women, the holidays aren't a vacation. They're not restful in any capacity. And I think that, like, with the with the seasons portion of it, like, I...
00:16:08
Speaker
I feel like I'm always trying to think
Impact of Seasons on Personal Growth
00:16:11
Speaker
of time in multiple ways. One is very much like, let me look at my schedule, let me look at my planner, and my agenda, let me look at the calendar, Q1, very business. And then the other part of me is just like, okay, well,
00:16:25
Speaker
This isn't working out. I didn't get all the things done by Q2 or Q3. And it's like, well, you know what? Like, it's winter anyway. I shouldn't be working so hard. It's not even spring yet. Then it's spring. And I'm like, oh, my God, I still didn't get anything done. like You know, so I like different ways of thinking about time and trying to be like, it it seems like it makes even more sense to like think of oneself differently.
00:16:50
Speaker
in in accordance to to the seasons and to nature in that way. It feels much more fluid and seamless than like numerical time.
00:17:01
Speaker
Yeah. And I think also like, again, like the the different like subtopics and things that I kind of wanted to delve into in each chapter, I think looking at each season like independently um kind of helps you
00:17:19
Speaker
determine like what you want to focus on, right? Because I think a lot of times we just, we carry the same goals or intentions or, like guilt from not meeting those goals and intentions or whatever, like throughout, like like with us throughout the year, throughout the seasons, right? And then it's like, you know, that's that's when like, you know, the the year winds down and we're trying to, like you said, slow down, but also speed up. The new year starts and you're like, new year, new me, like, but you're carrying all the same things, you know? Or you're you're even saying, oh I'm not going to deal with this this year, but like, it's still in the back of your mind, you know? And I feel like if we dedicate like,
00:18:00
Speaker
are If we move throughout the seasons intentionally or a little more intentionally, we might be able to kind of like let go of the weight that some of those seasons and some of what we were what we're experiencing or have been experiencing um have been...
00:18:18
Speaker
Like, you know, leaving that we've been carrying, you know, like I feel like if we move intentionally through the spring and focus kind of like on on it or intentionally through the winter, for example, and intent then focus on like self-reflection and like better understanding ourselves, utilizing that quiet time in a positive like healing process.
00:18:39
Speaker
mindset, you can focus in the springtime when the weather changes, when the outside,
Intentional Writing Process
00:18:45
Speaker
right? Like your outside world is looking a little bit different. You can focus on like self-growth, on a little bit more of self-progression, on a little bit more of like um like other other goals, like other things that maybe you didn't have the space or capacity for in the winter, but you did the work in the winter to be able to do it in the spring, if that makes Mm, that does make sense. And I feel like, I feel like that's something a lot of people don't fully recognize.
00:19:17
Speaker
And also with how you were mentioning, like, ah do you still carry things with you from one season to the next. Yeah. Which I think... fits very nicely into the title of your book because it's all that I see you can carry within you, within oneself. So given the fact that we are human, I think there is always going to be some sort of limitation there for us. Not that we can't overcome, but sometimes we just have to do a little bit more self-acceptance and maybe progress a little bit more slowly. Yeah. As difficult as it may be to accept.
00:19:50
Speaker
But yeah, what was it What was the writing process like for you for this particular book now that it's the second one? Was there anything different, anything that really stood out to you when it came to this book and and when you were going through getting started?
00:20:06
Speaker
um This book ah was different in like from my first one and that my first I think I took this one took. Last time, like, so to speak, because I wrote it within like a year.
00:20:20
Speaker
um Whereas my first one, I wrote it like during COVID and, you know, kind of like, you know, I was just like, like banging out poems, you know, like I was just doing, i was working a lot of on it.
00:20:31
Speaker
um but then didn't really obviously publish it until I met my publisher and and like workshopped it and edited it, you know, so that one, like that process took longer. This process was much more intentional because I wanted to write about every season during the season. Like I intentionally looked up what is the first day of spring 2025? What is the last day of spring 2025? This is how long I have to write these pieces. um What is the first day of summer? You know, I wanted to kind of,
00:21:00
Speaker
I literally wanted to be in the season while I was writing um because I didn't want to do it off of memory, if that makes sense. Like I wanted to, do um you know, be experiencing things and and like having little little bits of inspiration or little bits of ideas because of like the everyday or like the everyday that my loved ones were going through or people that I knew or people that I saw.
00:21:23
Speaker
Um, so I think this one was much more intentional. Like it had more of a timeline and I don't really like, you know, when it comes to creativity to kind of like harp too much on a timeline, but because I had like this kind of vision or intention for this collection, I really wanted to get it done in a certain like way so that it like made the most sense or like so that the pieces at least like came naturally to me, you know, because I didn't want to be like, you know, if I was working on it still right now, i didn't want to be like, hmm,
00:21:53
Speaker
You know, it's it's the it's the beginning of June. I don't want to be like writing about snowflakes or something, like you know, like trying to like like like force the words out of me, if that makes sense. I think it's much easier when you're kind of like in the moment or like in this the space that you intend to like...
00:22:13
Speaker
like describe and share ah with people. um So I think this was just more intentional and I gave myself like much less flexibility. um But like for the purpose of like writing a little bit more genuinely.
00:22:29
Speaker
No, that makes sense now that you mention it. Like at the time when I thought about it, I was like, I didn't really cross my mind that you would want to make sure you're in the season as you write about it, but it makes complete sense. So I i see your point about the the deadline, but did that affect you knowing that there was technically a deadline because the season is ending on a given day?
Completing Despite Challenges
00:22:51
Speaker
Yeah, so, you know, unfortunately, so to note, to no one's shock and surprise, I did not work on that deadline. um Because last year was like a pretty difficult year, like just in my personal life.
00:23:02
Speaker
um And i I did go through, I want to say maybe like, I don't know, like three or four months really where I just kind of stopped writing um for like a variety of reasons. But I just...
00:23:14
Speaker
I really kind of fell off of this project and I'm i'm so grateful. One to my publisher, Davina Ferreiro from Alegria Publishing, and one to my photo editor. Her name is Omida. This collection includes photos that I took, but they were edited by my very good friend, um who's a photographer and a photo editor and a lovely human being that I heart very, very, very, very much. um she was kind of like my accountability buddy who would be like hey so do you have any new photos for me to edit and i'd be like no i don't hey do you have any like poems for me that you know that i can like like praise and rave about and i was like no i haven't written anything leave me alone um but so you know i'm very grateful for them too because they did kind of like push me to
00:24:08
Speaker
get back to it when I kind of fell off of it. Um, so like long story short, I intended to complete it in like one full year and then just use, you know, a little bit of extra time for the the editing and the putting together and all that jazz.
00:24:22
Speaker
Um, and it didn't work out that way, but I still, for the most part was able to um experience at like the the seasons throughout 2025 and some of 2026 and write about them um in the way that I intended to. And it didn't feel forced. um You know, I did kind of beat on myself a little bit because I did want it, like like I mentioned, like I did want it completed a certain way at a certain time and you know, I have OCD, so it's really hard for me to just like not complete things the way that I need them to be, or I feel like I need them to be.
00:24:59
Speaker
um So there was a point where I was like, should I even continue this? Or should I like save it for like another year? Like let's start over. um You know, a lot of imposter syndrome kicked in when I wasn't, when I realized I was not going to meet my deadline.
00:25:14
Speaker
um But again, like I was, I was very fortunate in that I had like a pretty good amount of support and like encouragement to kind of yeah finish it off even if it wasn't like the perfect way and I know I'm like telling telling everybody about it now so I guess i you know, I let my own secret out, but like nobody knew. i didn't tell anybody that I had like this timeline. Like I didn't, nobody knew that I was writing it in this way. um So I know that really nobody was being let down, so to speak, besides myself, which is important. Like, you know, we have to care for ourselves and make ourselves proud and things. But I know that I wasn't, I wasn't really like
00:25:56
Speaker
It wasn't worth letting myself down or not meeting a deadline wasn't worth forfeiting the whole project. You know, like it's just me and like a goal that I set for myself that for like valid reasons I couldn't keep, not for anything else.
Community in the Creative Process
00:26:10
Speaker
um And that wasn't enough for me to like not pursue the rest of the the collection. So, yeah.
00:26:18
Speaker
Yeah. No, that makes complete sense. I feel like... It is difficult to let ourselves down, like you're mentioning, because I have my own little timelines and deadlines that I set for myself that don't always go as planned.
00:26:33
Speaker
But at the end of the day, it's not so much did you meet that deadline versus like, did you complete the project? Yeah. And so like, I'm actually pretty, like, I really had no doubts, ah like with my first collection, um, like, like whether or not I was going to finish it or publish it. Like once I kind of started working with La Alegria, I knew that it was going to come eventually. Like i I was like really like, like locked in Like I was very excited about this. I had like you know, confidence and, and, and like excitement and everything. And so this, I mean, I know it's only my second collection, but this one was the first one where I was like feeling kind of doubtful, like if I could finish it.
00:27:14
Speaker
Um, but I, I definitely, you know, owe a lot to like my, uh, my supports and to myself, um, for finishing it. So I'm glad I did.
00:27:27
Speaker
Yeah, I i think that good it's that's one of the more important things as well that I want to highlight in the story is the support that you had.
00:27:39
Speaker
and you You shouted out two different people. You've talked about your publishers being a huge support. And that's so important in all the things that we do that I think a lot of people, especially within like the American context, don't fully recognize because they think that like, i need to do it all by myself. I need to be self-made and all those things when that's a myth.
00:28:03
Speaker
And even like, this is your baby, like this is, this is your book, obviously, but you had support throughout that process. so that's wonderful. Yeah, I think especially, I mean, in so many varieties, but since we're speaking about this one specifically, you know, and one that I'm a part of, I think in the indie writing and publishing and creative community, um community, you know, is so important. And it like it's it's so incredibly, like,
00:28:34
Speaker
beneficial to not do things on your own or to not just rely on yourself. Um, because there are so many ex like things, challenges, um, even like accomplishments and things that people are going through in in like the indie writing space um that there's so much there's just so much and you know actually went to an event the other day for a friend who was like doing a book tour for her anthology and like one thing that she mentioned is that like
00:29:07
Speaker
Community is so important. Like a lot of times we feel like we have to do everything ourselves or outsource, right? When like in reality, like I have everything that I need in my own space. Like I, my friend um edited the photos of my collection. I didn't need to go anywhere. Like I went in my own community. You know, my mentor slash publisher was able to encourage me to and give me like the strength and the confidence to finish this. I'm on a podcast with an incredible...
00:29:37
Speaker
Latina podcaster, you know, like I don't need to go very far to acquire like the resources that I need to succeed or to complete my projects. Like, you know, because I'm lucky enough to have that community, um which is not something that I had when I first started writing Living in Phases. Um,
00:29:57
Speaker
So, yeah, I think especially in the indie creative world, it's so important to like abandon that idea that like you have to do it by yourself or you have to learn all the things or you have to teach yourself or you have to be super self-sufficient because there's so much that you can gain by sharing like your journey with others.
00:30:17
Speaker
Mm hmm. 100%. And it it does feel a little frightening at first. Yeah. Especially for anybody who's listening to this who is a little baby creative, which i i identify as I just started writing again.
00:30:32
Speaker
But like there there are resources out there. There are people out there. Like if you just follow your local indie bookstores, like I follow one um underdog in Monrovia and they're constantly posting events and And they had a author write up.
00:30:48
Speaker
I think last month I couldn't go. had another thing that I had to take care of that evening. But they literally put all authors in Southern California, welcome to come meet up.
00:31:00
Speaker
You don't have to be published yet. Like you could just show up and, you know, check it out. See if that's the community for you, which I've been to their events before and it was it was a lot of fun.
00:31:11
Speaker
um But something as simple as that, I feel like is a if you're brand new to something, brand new to potentially a space, Something as simple like that. There's like, it's low hanging fruit that you can just go and participate, you know, and an indie bookstore wants you there. so Oh, they do. they're the best. They're they're the place that you want to be and the place that you mean, like some of the best people for sure.
00:31:35
Speaker
Yeah. 100%. Where can, well, before we go, is there anything else that you want to share with any, share with us, share with the people that they should know about? Um, no, I just want to thank everyone for, you know, I think one thing about this collection is I was really nervous.
00:31:53
Speaker
Another reason why I was nervous about completing it was like, I was afraid that it really wasn't, even though it's It's a different collection. There's a different theme. you know, i I think even my writing style, if you read my first collection and you read this one, I think there's a lot of differences. There's some even longer pieces. If you know me, I like to write a lot of micro poetry. So i this is obviously like its own standalone collection, not a sequel in any way. But I was very nervous that it like was not going to like live up to living in phases. I think that living in phases was so, like, you know, I'm so grateful. It was, like, beautifully well-received. And I really was like, man, what if I'm a one-hit wonder? Like, I don't think. my God. Not that a hit. But, like, you know what I mean. was really worried that this was going to be, like, meh.
00:32:40
Speaker
um So I just want to thank everyone for, you know proving me wrong for the most part. of You know, i've i it's been very well received so far. And um I'm really excited to see like what people um resonate the most with. um And just thank you, you know, for reading my words. It's really important to me that I'm able to kind of connect with people ah through poetry. It's a lot easier than through other forms.
00:33:06
Speaker
So thank you for indulging me. Oh, 100%.
Where to Find Leslie's Work
00:33:10
Speaker
Also, the book is fantastic, just for the record. yes Like the moment, literally the moment I opened it up, I read like the first quote, not even like, you know, the first poem, just the quote that's like setting the tone for the first chapter. And I was like, girl.
00:33:25
Speaker
but it Just like open up my soul and like look inside. Like I even messaged you, right? i was like, girl, you just starting off sha strong. Yeah, I was like, I have to make this different. Like, let's let's include some like sounds like famous writers, you know? i was like, let's let's gauge people's interest.
00:33:41
Speaker
I thought it was it was really good because i it was just the way my brain works. I'm like, ooh, like quote. I love quotes. And then like you have like the quote set the tone. and You're like, hmm. Then like you go to the next page and you're just like, okay, let me like zero in. And like my brain likes to start making all the connections.
00:33:58
Speaker
Yay. Yeah, that's what I was going for. You did it 100%. Where can people find you? Where can they connect with you? And where can they find your book?
00:34:10
Speaker
Um, so my book is, both my books are available wherever you get your books online. So that's Amazon, brands and noble, bookshop.org is a really great website that lets you, uh, purchase and like, but you know, purchase the books online. And then the proceeds go to your favorite indie bookstore. Like you can pick what bookstore you want to send it to, or you could just, um, so send it to them and, and, you know, they do their thing. Um, so I love directing people there.
00:34:35
Speaker
I also love sending the books myself. If you are comfortable with, you know, sharing your at your mailing address with me, i have a Google form for both of my collections and the link in my Instagram bio.
00:34:48
Speaker
um And i send them all wrapped up and signed, embossed. I send a personalized poem for you um and some stickies and some little gifts as well. So my ah purse, my, hold on a second, because you know,
00:35:05
Speaker
I'm going make sure I get to the right Instagram. Yeah. My poetry Instagram is um underscore literary hope. So that's L-I-T-E-R-A-R-Y hope, H-O-P-E. And yeah, the links, the Google forms to both of my collections are in the link in my bio. And I love sending book mail. So feel free to get them from me.
00:35:30
Speaker
I will include those links in the show notes. and So definitely if you are interested in getting her book, getting one with all the cute little stuff and the poem, all that's going to be linked below. i am also a bookshop affiliate. So I have my very own book list that you can find through my links. I'll include the links also in the show notes for the books if you want to get them through bookshop. um With the affiliate part, I get like a little percentage if you just buy through my link, um just so you are aware. but Everything's going to be linked down below. So definitely follow Leslie. um
00:36:05
Speaker
Buy the books because they are fantastic. I have both. um My mom has both. We bought one for my sister. when she visits, she's going to get the book. um So it's a whole family affair over here. Yeah, I matt i just want to note, I met Marisol and her mom.
00:36:21
Speaker
ah three years ago now? Yeah, at my very first LA Times Festival of Books. And I just, I mean, I post about her every year. because I must. She is like, she comes and visits um my us at our publisher's stand our booth every year.
00:36:39
Speaker
And her mom, since that first year, has been asking me, what do you have that's new for me? And she is another one. I did not shout her out. Shame on me. She is another one that like very much encouraged me because towards like the end of last year, beginning of this year, I was like, geez, I cannot go back to the book the festival of books and not have something new for Manisal's mom.
00:37:00
Speaker
She's going to ask you again and I'm going to say no again. No. So I finished the book. Thank you her. Everybody thank her. If you get it and you like it, she played a part two. Yeah, I'll let her know. I mean, she's probably going to listen to this. um but yeah, so everybody make sure to follow her along. and Get the books. They are fantastic.
00:37:17
Speaker
Thank you for being here today, Leslie. I appreciate you for has taking the time out of your day for this. And for everybody tuning in and everybody still hanging out and listening to this episode. Thank you so much. I appreciate you. If this resonated with you, definitely subscribe and send it out to a fellow reader. You're definitely going appreciate it And you can also go ahead and follow me if you like. I have all of my links down below for Instagram and TikTok.
00:37:43
Speaker
And until next time, keep growing.