2Leaf Press remains committed to publishing a broad range of fiction, poetry, drama, and nonfiction that explores the intersections and contradictions of human nature, and experiences that are enduringly human. As major publishers continue to merge, consolidate, and focus on blockbusters and best sellers, 2Leaf Press remains focused on discovering new writers who tackle the fundamental issues of our human condition in different yet meaningful ways.
This spring, we’re publishing four books of poetry in April during National Poetry Month: award-winning poets Jesús Papoleto Meléndez, author of PAPOLíTICO Poems of a Political Persuasion, and Ray DiZazzo’s The Revlon Slough, New and Selected Poems ; seasoned poet Youssef Alaoui’s first full-length poetry collection, Critics of Mystery Marvel, Collected Poems, and Jason vasser-elong’s debut poetry collection, shrimp. These collections delve into various levels of the human condition, whether it’s one’s own personal exploration, or the exploration of the world and their place in it. More often than not, it’s both.
In addition to poetry, The Last Poet Abiodun Oyewole has published his first self-described collection of prose, The Beauty of Being, A Collection of Fables, Short Stories & Essays, which tackles his life stories and moral lessons using a mix of fiction and nonfiction.
Aristotle said we are social creatures, and literature defends that claim. We read to solve our own conflicts and connect ourselves to others that are attempting to do the same. As part of the announcement of our new releases, instead of rehashing a press release, I shared my personal insight with a behind-the-scenes peek about the production of these books. I wanted to remind people of the internal and external struggles writers and publishers face when preparing text for publication. It’s more than just the placement and meaning of words, or creating a solid presentation of the work, it’s making sure the work is true to the writers and at the same time, connects to readers. Frustration, revelation and joy are just some of the things one experiences as part of a process that contributes to producing the best books possible, because in the end, it’s all about the book. It’s also a test of how the human condition prevails, connects us to each other in the telling of these universal stories. So, I encourage you to read and share in the process.
This exploration of the human condition is further exemplified when in June, we plan to publish Fredrick Cloyd’s “anti-memoir,” Dream of the Water Children, who uses language (English and Japanese), poetry, prose, historical analysis, and personal narratives, alongside personal and historical photographs, and photo-collages, to convey his story of displacement as a Black Japanese living in Japan and the United States. Rather than relying on the publishing industry’s preexisting notion of genres and book formats, these writers dared to create new models that mesh with the telling of their stories, that has produced slightly unconventional yet interesting books. As a publisher, I love publishing books that do something that I didn’t think a book could do. It’s exactly these kind of works that a small press like 2Leaf Press seeks to champion.
Also appearing in June is the publication of our first book under our 2LP CLASSICS series, Adventures in Black and White by Philippa Duke Schuyler, with a critical introduction by Tara Betts, a memoir travelogue. Recognized as a prodigy at an early age, Schuyler was heralded as America’s first internationally-acclaimed mixed-race celebrity. In this first revised edition since its initial publication in 1960, Betts not only provides a critical introduction to this updated volume, she also includes minor edits and annotations of the original text.
Finally, 2Leaf Press is tapping into the textbook market with Substance of Fire, Gender and Race in the College Classroom by Claire Millikin, a professor, scholar and poet. This book, published under our 2LP EXPLORATIONS IN DIVERSITY and managed by series editor Sean Frederick Forbes, explores how race and gender function within the privilege of the four-year college classroom. Additional contributions are from recent graduates and current faculty, who interrogate the forces of sexism and racism from the various perspectives of gay, straight, biracial, white, African American, and Latino writers and artists.
Since we are small press, we thrive at the very thing we are best at: being small and different. Using the human condition as our guidepost, our focus is on creating books that challenge the “norm.” Sartre once wrote, “Man’s agony is the agony of choice,” in attempting to articulate what it means to be human. Part of this implication is the idea that freedom is a challenging, but inevitable component of consciousness. Lately, we’ve found ourselves consciously creating books that are built from fragments and vignettes that do much more than combine genres—personal essays, critical theory, poetry, photography and artwork—we’ve kind of let writers put these different forms into the blender and shred them to come up with something that suits their individuality. I encourage readers to indulge in these interesting and varied stories, whether it is through prose, poetry, fiction or nonfiction.
We are a small press with big ideas. Happy reading and thanks for your support.
— Gabrielle David, Publisher
