Yes, I've written a few, with two others slow cooking in the word oven. These are compendia of works, primarily poetry and prose, with a good amount of essay and some short fiction thrown in for good measure. Upcoming works include a fictional biography ("Impossible Circles- The Unlikely Tracings of Isador Upinksy") and a picture book threaded thematically by a poem cyle ("Twelve Glass Birds," likely to be published by December 2011).
These works are things I'm humble about- not very many that come into casual contact with me will know I'm an author. I'm terrible at self promotion and get wobbly-kneed when it comes to reading my work. I've had the honor of hearing my work performed by others, and it's always interesting to hear feedback from the books. So, here they are... remember they can also be ordered by local booksellers should you prefer to support independent business. If you choose to buy direct from my printer, there are deeper discounts than you'll find on Amazon and the like...
From the Foreword: This is not a travelogue of my adventures in Southeast Asia. Yes, that is the medium for the message, but this is ultimately not about my travels and opinions. This book is a telegraph of sorts that I seemed to have intercepted. Perhaps it was written in code, and I have done my best to decipher it. Now, the lessons contained herein are yours, not mine. They might not be yours either, but rather ours, as in something akin to a note that gets passed around class and before too long every student knows a variant of the original story, even if the teacher has grabbed it, read it aloud mockingly, and chucked it in the trash. The lessons in this book revealed themselves incrementally, each one at the time feeling utterly independent of the other, yet upon reflection each lesson absolutely and with necessity builds upon the other. It’s an upward spiralization of realizing and actualizing what now appears to me to be any factor in any system, a kind of psychospiritual Systems Theory where the model also works in completely disconnected arenas. Turn the “lessons” into growth points in a cycle, and you now have a progression/regression paradigm that fits into ecologies, socioeconimics, cultural movements, and how you go about making a pizza. Strange Alms: Lessons for the Unexpecting Wayfarer's release expected in November, 2013.
"One for the Nameless," published originally in 2009 with a revision in 2011. Jay's third published book is a collection of verbal alchemy and visionary tomfoolery in the form of his widely acclaimed poetry, essays and travelogues. He celebrates wonder, passion, and even fear as vital elements to existing. This collection takes you to the edge of his harder words, encouraging you to toe the ledge of language and savor the insecurity of not knowing it all, but loving the challenge of it. Amazon | Lulu (10% discount) | iTunes
Poet, wordsmith and storyteller Jay Joslin continues his journey of awe, passion and absurdity in this, his second collection. With a troubadour's spirit and a daring verve, he makes metaphorical play with the quintessential signs and portents which remind us that we are indeed on a planet, and are very fortunate to exist at all, astronomically speaking. Originally published in 2005. Amazon | Lulu |
AWAITING RE-ISSUE: I paid my editor in Guiness & it resulted in a book riddled with grammatical terrors. Hang on if you can, and check out the later works). Using vivid, visionary and emotionally honest images, Jay's works not only seek to inspire readers with messages of empowerment and universal love, but to catapult them into the world of their own dreams, delicate and absurd alike.. Amazon | Barnes & Noble