Denver author Jay Halsey tells nothing but the truth in Barely Half in a Awkward Line
Jay Halsey is just an honest man. The Denver author’s main reaction to seeing his new book in print is one of humility, revealing the personal and direct nature of his writings and photographs that tell the story of his own troubled life.
Barely half in an awkward linepublished by Seattle-based small press Really Serious Literature, stands as a neat patchwork of essays, poems, photos and personal reflections collected over more than a decade.
“I never intended any of these to be in a book,” Halsey says of Impressionist works. “I’ve been sitting on a lot of these pieces for twelve years.” But he first grew more comfortable with the idea of sharing his private and often autobiographical thoughts at informal readings, where he felt emboldened by his power over the emphasis of each spoken word.
“I started reading aloud in this storefront called Don’t Yell at Me,” he recalls. read.” Halsey also paid more attention to polishing her written words and establishing spoken rhythms that might be lost in print.
Despite his growth as an author willing to share his work, it took a hint from fellow writer and partner Hillary Leftwich (author of a new memoir, Will haveof Future Tense Books) to encourage Halsey to collect and submit her private words.
“Hillary was the one who started the fire under me about a year ago,” Halsey says. “She said to me, ‘Hey, Perfectly Serious Literature has an open call for manuscripts. “” His proposal was accepted and he convinced Perfectly Serious to include his photos in the package.
They set to work piecing together a manuscript from disparate pieces, focusing on continuity and, in Halsey’s case, choosing and formatting around 30 photographic images to use from a stock of “tens of thousands of photos”.
The themes clearly emerged: social pressure, social anxiety, bad relationships, chemical abuse, recovery and the consequences of a life of always being outdoors are some of them, Halsey notes. , who adds that The foreigners by SE Hinton is still one of his favorite books. But he hopes to show change and redemption in the pages of Barely half in an awkward line.
“I don’t mind seeing the evolution,” Halsey says of the book’s journey. “A lot of the pieces were formed years ago when I was really struggling with heavy drinking and nights where I wanted to quit completely,” he adds. But I don’t necessarily want people to think that’s where I am in my life.
“I really want to reiterate that this book is very honest,” he continues. “Everything I write is true. Whether it’s poetry, prose, or essays, it all comes from lived experience. There’s nothing fictional about this book, and the honesty goes a long way. I don’t think I’m the best writer in the world, but I think it’s honest. That’s what I hope people take away from it.”
And it shows: Jay Halsey is a transformed man.
Barely half in an awkward line book launch and group reading, Counterpath, 935 East 14th Avenue, Saturday, October 29, 6 p.m. Guests include Halsey, Akusua Akoto, Eric Baus, Steven Dunn, Andrea Rexilius and host Hillary Leftwich.
