Tag: My Books

October Newsletter: Liegois Media

beach covered with autumnal leaves by river

Well, I think it is official – I’m not hitting 225,000 words or even 200,000 words this year.

I’m trying not to think of it as a failure. I’m trying to think about it as a re-calibration – A refocus on… quality over quantity? Over what I’m trying to say with my fiction? I think that’s the case. I want to write something that has interest and impact. I think my current work in progress has this. I don’t want to screw it up.

This is The Writing Life, my monthly newsletter about a writer of many interests (me) and what’s been going on with me and my writing.

Let’s get started.

The Home Front

cozy fireplace with burning wood logs
Photo by Svitlana Ivanova on Pexels.com

As I mentioned last time (and without getting into too many details), I’ve been trying to get my head sorted out. That process continues.

Now, while I’m starting to be more productive, I have not had too much time to write anything down anywhere near the levels I was doing during the first few months of 2026. I feel like I’m at least making forward progress. I’m trying to narrow my focus at the moment.

What I’m Writing Now

Cover image for 'Shadows on the Mississippi' by Jason Liegois, featuring a vibrant sunset over the Mississippi River with a silhouette of a lamp post and trees.

What is it? An environmental sci-fi horror tale in a quiet Iowa town on the Mississippi River. In a state where agricultural pollution effects people and the environment are a big deal, the new pollution is getting into everyone…

Status: My main work in progress, which ends up dealing with a lot of issues facing those of us in Iowa and turbocharging it with a horror flourish.

I’m getting to some interesting portions of the book, when what has been threatened on the sidelines of the book so far has now burst forth and now has a casualty list. And my main characters are now deciding how they’re going to have to deal with the consequences.

I’m currently over 48,000 words on this project. I’m now just about done with some extra tweaks and slight revisions, although one last one I think I’ll save for the full revisions.

I’ve said that with my current rate of working, even though I’m now dedicating nearly my entire creative energies to this project, I might not have a final coherent rough draft by Halloween 2026, the one-year anniversary of the start of the rough draft, but an end date of New Year’s Even 2026 for it might be more realistic.

Prediction: Rough draft completed by the end of this year. Stay tuned.

Everything Else

Right now, I’m not working on too much other than Shadows on the Mississippi. All of my other fiction projects are either in planning, development, or paused. I just know that I want to get my current WIP set before considering and continuing anything else. Of course, there are some exceptions to this, which include the odd poem or two (I’ve created more than 20 this year, self-published or not published. And, this blog, although I have not done a good job of being consistent posting, I will try and do better as we move on.

What I’m Doing Having to do With Writing

Selfie of a man with a beard wearing a cap, standing in front of a display table with books and game pieces; a kitchen area is visible in the background.
At the Indie Author Book Expo in Des Moines earlier this year.

Although I’ve been cutting back on my appearances, I am going to do one this month in Iowa City. I’ll be participating in the local author book fair at the Iowa City Book Festival later this month.

I’ll be hawking my books The Holy Fool, The Yank Striker series, and my poetry (as well as hyping the new WIP. It will run from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, October 25, at MERGE, 136 S. Dubuque St., in the heart of the city’s pedestrian mall. I’ve always enjoyed this event and I was happy to return.

Writing Quote(S) of the Month:

This fits me way too well.

The thing all writers do best is find ways to avoid writing.
― Alan Dean Foster

…and I might have posted this before, but I needed to see it again today.

Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.
― Stephen King

When and What I Post

I once posted here about when or what I post on a regular basis. I should say I have not been keeping this schedule regularly, but I’ll see if I can’t pick up the pace.

And Now … How to support me😊.

As always, go to the links on the side if you are reading this on a desktop/laptop or the links on my profile on mobile. If you follow the links, you will be able to buy both the paperback and ebook versions of my books on Amazon. If you just put “Jason Liegois” in Google. you’ll find them on the first page of search results.

I have quite a few places that now carry at least some of my books, some of the many great and fantastic independent bookstores in Iowa and the Midwest.
These are the bookstores you’ll find at least some of my work1:

  • Bent Oak Books, 619 7th St. Fort Madison.
  • Burlington By The Book, 301 Jefferson St, Burlington.
  • The Corner and More, 703 Main St., Mediapolis.
  • Green Point Mercantile, 217 E. 2nd St., Muscatine. [SPECIAL EDITORS NOTE: Green Point Mercantile is temporarily relocated to Salon Incognito, located at 216 E. Second St., due to building issues. Please check them out there or on Instagram – it’s a great store and Candy (the owner) is a fantastic person.]
  • The Brewed Book, 1524 Harrison St., Davenport.
  • The Black Rose, 116 W. Main St., West Branch
  • Beaverdale Books, 2629 Beaver Ave. # S1, Des Moines.
  • Pella Books, 824 Franklin St., Pella.
  • The Atlas Collective, 1801 5th Ave, Moline, Illinois.

I’m always looking for some new places to place my books, so feel free to hit me up in the comments if you have a suggestion.

For those who are budget conscious among all of you, my books are part of the collections of the Fort Madison, Burlington, and eventually at the Musser (Muscatine) public libraries.

My poetry book The Flow and the Journey is available at Bent Oak, Green Point, Burlington By the Book, and The Corner and More, but it is also available online but not on Amazon. If you want to get a physical copy, go ahead and click below:

  • The Flow and the Journey
The Flow and the Journey - Image 1

The Flow and the Journey

$6.00

The first collection of poetry from author Jason Liegois.

Category:
Tags: , ,

This is my obligatory announcement that if any podcasters or bloggers are interested in new fiction, if you are interested in stories based in the worlds of journalism and soccer, or if you are interested in featuring writers from Iowa or the Midwest, I would absolutely be open for a feature or interview. Get in touch here or at jasonliegois@liegois.media.

If you don’t have the budget for a paid subscription, feel free to just send me a one-time payment of whatever you have the budget for.

Button with a coffee cup icon and the text 'Buy me a coffee' on a yellow background

Looking forward to fall, fall weather, and fall colors.

All you writers keep writing and everyone keep safe.

-30-

While I do appreciate you following this blog, I really would like you to subscribe to my Substack page. By subscribing to that page, you’ll not only be receiving my Substack newsletter, The Writing Life With Jason Liegois (the companion blog to this one), but you’ll also be signing up for my email list. Just click the button below.

Subscribe to my Substack here.
  1. All Iowa locations unless otherwise noted. ↩︎

September Newsletter: Liegois Media

sailboat in front of picturesque lighthouse landscape

Hey, everyone,

Ooh, it’s been a hot minute, hasn’t it? We’ll let’s not worry about August and head straight into September, all things considered. Sorry about that.

Let’s get started.

The Home Front

I am, reluctantly, going to be relatively tight-lipped about the reason or reasons why I suddenly stopped dead in the middle of summer and just stared at the screen for a couple months. While I’m not one of those fans of “vaguebooking” or “vaguejournaling,” I do think you have to be discrete in my position as an educator and now is one of those times.

What I will say is this. my health is overall well; all is well with my wife, kids, and immediate family. Essentially, I had a personal revelation about myself that has to do with how I think about things and process information. It was something that manifested itself (well, it was manifesting itself for a long time; I just realized it was actually manifesting in the way it was until now.

I also will say the main way this manifested myself into my writing is that I came to realize, as I was reviewing my recent work (see below), that I was paying so much attention to details, worldbuilding, and with the little details in the story I almost was ignoring the main plotline in my works and developing characters and their motivation. In some ways, I became more aware of how my main characters might think and react to things in a way I wouldn’t have been aware of before.

So, this realization was a bit of a shock to me.

I spent pretty much all of my summer staring at screens and second-guessing everything I wrote. Not that I had doubts about my writing skills, but I was seeing how I had developed blind spots in my creative life, and I couldn’t just ignore the situation.

This realization I just had likely has some other implications for me, but for now I will set those aside as not being something I want to get into here. The overall message is, I had a sudden realization about the way I think and who I am that startled me a bit.

What does this mean for me, moving forward with the writing?

I have to say that with the past two weeks, which have coincided with the beginning of the school year, I have started to regather myself toward writing. Frankly, I’ve not been eager to write anything, whether it’s Substack blurbs or fiction. I do know I want to pick up my pace, even though I might not be announcing my word count on a regular basis for the remainder of the year. And I do have one or two goals for the remainder of this year that might not necessarily fit onto a data spreadsheet.

Now, enough of the personal mumbo-jumbo; time to discuss what I have (or have not) gotten accomplished.

What I’m Writing Now

A sunset over the Mississippi River, with vibrant orange and red hues, featuring a silouetted street lamp and trees, along with the title 'Shadows on the Mississippi' and the author's name 'By Jason Liegois'.

What is it? An environmental sci-fi horror tale in a quiet Iowa town on the Mississippi River. In a state where agricultural pollution effects people and the environment are a big deal, the new pollution is getting into everyone…

Status: As of now, this novel is, I am certain, the main project and focus of my fiction efforts.

This story has dominated my thoughts. Many of the issues Iowa face now are going to pop up in this book. It doesn’t take too much imagination to consider how such issues could blow up into far wilder situations.

I’m currently over 47,000 words on this project after I’ve done some severe carving to the first three chapters and some more on later ones. Looking at the calendar, it might be a bit ambitious to finish the first draft by this Halloween, the first anniversary of when I began my work.

Prediction: Rough draft hopefully completed by the end of this year. Stay tuned.

Currently Untitled Anthology Submission

What is it?

A short story about a man who gets in trouble for speaking the truth… and then decides to see if he can make a run for the line.

Status:

This is a short speculative fiction story with a border or line theme. I just submitted it for a local fiction anthology, although I think it will be a few months before I learn of its publication status.

I ended up writing about 10,000 words, so I hope it didn’t end up rambling. This main character might have ended up being a lot like me. I’ll look forward to all of you reading it one way or the other.

[NOTE: For more detailed summaries/synopses of other projects of mine in various states, as well as my initial plans for the year, check out this link.]

Writing Quote(S) of the Month:

As it is in art, it is in writing.

To be an artist means never to avert one’s eyes.

― Akira Kurosawa

When and What I Post

I once posted here about when or what I post on a regular basis. I should say I have not been keeping this schedule regularly, but I’ll see if I can’t pick up the pace.

And Now … How to support me😊.

As always, go to the links on the side if you are reading this on a desktop/laptop or the links on my profile on mobile. If you follow the links, you will be able to buy both the paperback and ebook versions of my books on Amazon. If you just put “Jason Liegois” in Google. you’ll find them on the first page of search results.

I have quite a few places that now carry at least some of my books, some of the many great and fantastic independent bookstores in Iowa and the Midwest.
These are the bookstores you’ll find at least some of my work1:

  • Bent Oak Books, 619 7th St. Fort Madison.
  • Burlington By The Book, 301 Jefferson St, Burlington.
  • The Corner and More, 703 Main St., Mediapolis.
  • Green Point Mercantile, 217 E. 2nd St., Muscatine. [SPECIAL EDITORS NOTE: Green Point Mercantile is temporarily relocated to Salon Incognito, located at 216 E. Second St., due to building issues. Please check them out there or on Instagram – it’s a great store and Candy (the owner) is a fantastic person.]
  • The Brewed Book, 1524 Harrison St., Davenport.
  • The Black Rose, 116 W. Main St., West Branch
  • Beaverdale Books, 2629 Beaver Ave. # S1, Des Moines.
  • Pella Books, 824 Franklin St., Pella.
  • The Atlas Collective, 1801 5th Ave, Moline, Illinois.

I’m always looking for some new places to place my books, so feel free to hit me up in the comments if you have a suggestion.

For those who are budget conscious among all of you, my books are part of the collections of the Fort Madison, Burlington, and eventually at the Musser (Muscatine) public libraries.

My poetry book The Flow and the Journey is available at Bent Oak, Green Point, Burlington By the Book, and The Corner and More, but it is also available online but not on Amazon. If you want to get a physical copy, go ahead and click below:

  • The Flow and the Journey
The Flow and the Journey - Image 1

The Flow and the Journey

$6.00

The first collection of poetry from author Jason Liegois.

Category:
Tags: , ,

This is my obligatory announcement that if any podcasters or bloggers are interested in new fiction, if you are interested in stories based in the worlds of journalism and soccer, or if you are interested in featuring writers from Iowa or the Midwest, I would absolutely be open for a feature or interview. Get in touch here or at jasonliegois@liegois.media.

If you don’t have the budget for a paid subscription, feel free to just send me a one-time payment of whatever you have the budget for.

Button with a coffee cup icon and the text 'Buy me a coffee' on a yellow background

While I do appreciate you following this blog, I really would like you to subscribe to my Substack page. By subscribing to that page, you’ll not only be receiving my Substack newsletter, The Writing Life With Jason Liegois (the companion blog to this one), but you’ll also be signing up for my email list. Just click the button below.

Subscribe to my Substack here.
  1. All Iowa locations unless otherwise noted. ↩︎

July Newsletter: Liegois Media

Hey, everyone,

I was a bit (more than a little bit) later with this than what I anticipated – so it might make this a short newsletter, but that’s all right. Might get into it if I can here.

This is The Writing Life, my monthly newsletter about a writer of many interests (me) and what’s been going on with me and my writing.

Let’s get started.

What I’m Writing Right Now

[NOTE: For more detailed summaries/synopses of the works in progress I discuss below, go to this link. The story below also contains some titles I have been working on but not at the level of the projects I’m discussing this month, so you can find out about them there.

Shadows on the Mississippi

What is it? An environmental sci-fi horror tale in a quiet Iowa town on the Mississippi River. In a state where agricultural pollution effects people and the environment are a big deal, the new pollution is getting into everyone…

Status: See above in the “Meta-Commentary” section. I think I’m just about finished with the first round of revisions (call the draft SOM 1.5 for now). I’ve sorted out the first 50 pages and I’ve gotten some good initial feedback from writing ground members. Now I need to keep the action going.

Stay tuned.

Currently Untitled Anthology Submission

What is it?

A short story about a man who gets in trouble for a bit of dissent … and then decides to see if he can make a run for the line.

Status:

This is a short story I’m submitting for an anthology (I’ll go into more details if I get it). The collection is speculative fiction with a border or line theme. It has to be 4,000-12,000 words, so I have to get moving on this since it is due by 31 August of this year.

I had to fix things around since I realized right when I started things that I was revealing too much at the beginning. I think the result will keep readers guessing. I’ll let you know how it goes.

What I’m Doing Having to do With Writing Now

First of all, thanks to Jenn Thompson and the organizers of the Indie Author Book Expo for having me over at the 11th annual expo late last month. It was a fantastic experience as always.

All set for a day’s book signing and selling.

As I am working on my new work in progress, I want to try and concentrate on getting this closer to publication (whatever shape that takes) rather than promoting my past works, but I still am open to some possibilities if they come open, especially events closer to my home ground.

The Home Front

As I write this, the US Men’s National (Soccer/Football) Team is struggling against Belgium in the Round of 161. Admittedly, this has occupied much of my mental bandwidth, considering I was crazy enough to write a book series about what I thought the first US soccer superstar might look like.

Enough foolishness has been written and spoken about the given controversy over Flo Balogun, but what I will do here is list two quotes that summarize the sport I love so well2.

It’s the money, you morons.

– Giorgio Chinaglia, Italian philosopher and footballer, regarding the reason why events happen in football/soccer.

Football, bloody hell.

– Sir Alex Ferguson, Scottish football manager, Manchester United.

Feels like I have been at loose ends for a while for summer break 2026. I’ve been keeping to myself, trying to walk regularly, do things for my physical and mental health, not to get more specific than that.

As for the Fourth of July, it went all right for my family, even with all the attendant weirdness. I try not to get too far into the political weeds here on The Writing Life, but I admire and subscribe to Laura Jedeed on Substack, and she put together a good article on the Fourth of July celebrations in Washington, DC. Click here to check it out.

My son’s wedding is in two weeks. Looking forward to it.

Writing Quote(S) of the Month:

Maybe this explains last month 🤣:

Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard.

― David McCullough

And one more quote from the King.

Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.

― Stephen King

When and What I Post

Check this out for when and what I post on a regular basis.

How to support me😊.

As always, go to the links on the side if you are reading this on a desktop/laptop or the links on my profile on mobile. If you follow the links, you will be able to buy both the paperback and ebook versions of my books on Amazon. If you just put “Jason Liegois” in Google. you’ll find them on the first page of search results.

I have quite a few places that now carry at least some of my books, some of the many great and fantastic independent bookstores in Iowa and the Midwest.
These are the bookstores you’ll find at least some of my work3:

  • Bent Oak Books, 619 7th St. Fort Madison.
  • Burlington By The Book, 301 Jefferson St, Burlington.
  • The Corner and More, 703 Main St., Mediapolis.
  • Green Point Mercantile, 217 E. 2nd St., Muscatine. [SPECIAL EDITORS NOTE: Green Point Mercantile is temporarily relocated to Salon Incognito, located at 216 E. Second St., due to building issues. Please check them out there or on Instagram – it’s a great store and Candy (the owner) is a fantastic person.]
  • The Brewed Book, 1524 Harrison St., Davenport.
  • The Black Rose, 116 W. Main St., West Branch
  • Beaverdale Books, 2629 Beaver Ave. # S1, Des Moines.
  • Pella Books, 824 Franklin St., Pella.
  • The Atlas Collective, 1801 5th Ave, Moline, Illinois.

I’m always looking for some new places to place my books, so feel free to hit me up in the comments if you have a suggestion.

For those who are budget conscious among all of you, my books are part of the collections of the Fort Madison, Burlington, and eventually at the Musser (Muscatine) public libraries.

My poetry book The Flow and the Journey is available at Bent Oak, Green Point, Burlington By the Book, and The Corner and More, but it is also available online but not on Amazon. If you want to get a physical copy, go ahead and click below:

  • The Flow and the Journey
The Flow and the Journey - Image 1

The Flow and the Journey

$6.00

The first collection of poetry from author Jason Liegois.

Category:
Tags: , ,

This is my obligatory announcement that if any podcasters or bloggers are interested in new fiction, if you are interested in stories based in the worlds of journalism and soccer, or if you are interested in featuring writers from Iowa or the Midwest, I would absolutely be open for a feature or interview. Get in touch here or at jasonliegois@liegois.media.

If you don’t have the budget for a paid subscription, feel free to just send me a one-time payment of whatever you have the budget for.

While I do appreciate you following this blog, I really would like you to subscribe to my Substack page. By subscribing to that page, you’ll not only be receiving my Substack newsletter, The Writing Life With Jason Liegois (the companion blog to this one), but you’ll also be signing up for my email list. Just click the button below.

Subscribe to my Substack here.
  1. Aaand we’re out. USA 1-4 BEL. The US boys played their hearts out. However, I might always believe a certain American put a curse on the team. #USMNT always. ↩︎
  2. Would anyone be interested in a short story regarding how my series main character, DJ Ryan, might have handled soccer and politics? Or maybe I’m the only one who’s interested in it, which might be par for the course lol. ↩︎
  3. All Iowa locations unless otherwise noted. ↩︎

A Hodge Podge: Poetry Night, 28 Sept. 2025

assorted color paint buckets

Hello, all who either happened to stumble on to my page or regular subscribers. It’s Poetry Night, where I drop some samples of original poetry for your consumption and consideration. The theme for tonight is… all over the place, to be honest. Let’s see what I whip up tonight.

The first poem tonight is me realizing I’m in a fiction writing rut and trying to get out of it with this poem. It’s only sort of working1.

human skeleton on top of a laptop
Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.com

Procrastination

Fort Madison, Iowa, 26 September 2025

Staring at a screen

Which is not the one you need to be staring at

The words don’t come

You want them to appear already

The creation completed

The effort behind you.

But your thoughts

Dart toward endless distractions

And entertainments occupying your mind.

The problem is

While you feel calm when you distract yourself

At the end

There’s just emptiness for time and opportunities

Wasted.

This is not a poem intended to be aimed at anyone in particular. I think it’s something that might apply to many people who think they might need to engage with certain individuals, some they know very well, some little more than strangers. Sometimes it’s better to keep your distance.

house in foggy mountains
Photo by Wendel Rocha de Oliveira on Pexels.com

Hermitage

Fort Madison, Iowa, 26 September 2025

There are people in this world

Who provide anxiety and not comfort

Emotional work and not renewal,

Who drain and don’t cultivate.

You feel you need to engage

To draw them in, to cultivate relationships.

Building relations, networks,

Is the most human of instincts.

But poisoned people you don’t need

In your hermitage of the soul,

You can keep that safe

And thrive on your own.

Now a quick commercial break, lol.

If You’re Interested in the Poetry You See Here… You Might Want to Check Out Some More…

My first collection of poetry is out.

Since Substack doesn’t have the setup for this (that I’m aware of), I’ve set up something at my WordPress sister site, Liegois Media. I have my own Internet storefront page where you can order my chapbook for $6 per copy. The link is below.

The Flow and the Journey

Anyway, hope your night is going well. I’m doing all right, trust me. See you around the bend of the road, river, or rail, depending2.

-30-

While I do appreciate you following this blog, I really would like you to subscribe to my Substack page. By subscribing to that page, you’ll not only be receiving my Substack newsletter, The Writing Life With Jason Liegois (the companion blog to this one), but you’ll also be signing up for my email list. Just click the button below.

Subscribe to my Substack here.
  1. It’s actually not – I just looked at my word count for last week. ↩︎
  2. Thanks to my friend and fellow poet Gesene Oake for her suggestions and revisions to these pieces. ↩︎

Poetry Night at the Writing Life, 23 August 2025: About word weaving and word weavers

photography of eyeglasses on top of book

Hi, everyone, subscribers and random readers alike. It’s Poetry Night, the night I drop some brand new selections of verse for your reading pleasure. The use of words and those who use words for a living are the themes of tonight’s offerings.

But first, a quick commercial break 😄.

If You’re Interested in the Poetry You See Here… You Might Want to Check Out Some More…

My first collection of poetry is out.

Since Substack doesn’t have the setup for this (that I’m aware of), I’ve set up something at my WordPress sister site, Liegois Media. I have my own Internet storefront page where you can order my chapbook for $6 per copy. The link is below.

The Flow and the Journey

Over the years I’ve spent writing in all forms and genres, there’s always been a balancing act between using mountains of words to paint vivid mental pictures or construct grand arguments and keeping what you write short and to the point. Combining this observation with Miles Davis’ statements about how the notes a musician doesn’t play have more significance than the ones they do play were inspiration for this piece.

what is this is all real text with yellow background
Photo by Aleksandar Pasaric on Pexels.com

Words and Spaces

Fort Madison, Iowa, 22 August 2025

Over time in the years I’ve worked and weaved with words

I’ve used ones which were impactful, obscure, theatrical, stylish, and elaborate.

At times they overcrowded my work

Weary football fans packing onto too-small benches for forgotten games and reasons.

But over years I’ve come to learn

The spaces between words

The things left unsaid and unattended for the reader to ponder

Make a meaningful effect.

Earlier this week was the ninth anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s final live show in their hometown of Windsor, Toronto, Canada. The legendary Canadian band was at the end of its final tour after vocalist and primary songwriter Gord Downie announced he had terminal brain cancer. He’d die a year later at just 53 years old.

I had been vaguely aware of the band during its growth into prominence during the early 90’s, but they were always more Canada’s band than other great Canadian musical acts that found cross-border appeal. Unfortunately, I didn’t get into them heavily until just before his death, so I’ve had to spend the time since sifting through three decades worth of fantastic music.

Tonight, I figured a dude who once wrote a song called “Poets” was probably a good subject for one.

Gord Downie

Words to Remember Gord (A Memorial)

Fort Madison, Iowa, 20 August 2025

I remember the sight of you in white

Jaunty white top hat

Knife-edge lean but a grin as wide as the Ontario prairies

Singing for your home and people with a ferocity born

Knowing it was the last time.

Knowing Death was gathering you up, preparing your space,

As you stood tall on the stage.

You sung of death long before it reached you,

But also of love, friendship, loss, home, and life

You were a poet even as you said not to tell you of them

And what I learned from you is

Life has no dress rehearsal

It is now.

Well, hope I gave you some enjoyment tonight. Hope the rest of August goes well for you. Take care, everyone.

While I do appreciate you following this blog, I really would like you to subscribe to my Substack page. By subscribing to that page, you’ll not only be receiving my Substack newsletter, The Writing Life With Jason Liegois (the companion blog to this one), but you’ll also be signing up for my email list. Just click the button below.

Subscribe to my Substack here.

Poetry Night at the Writing Life, 26 July 2025: About cool secluded places. And mushrooms lol.

Hello, all subscribers and anyone happening upon my page this Saturday evening. Tonight is Poetry night once again. This is where I throw out some brand new, never before seen poetry out into the world and see if anyone digs them or not. How about I get started?

If You’re Interested in the Poetry You See Here… You Might Want to Check Out Some More…

My first collection of poetry is out.

Since Substack doesn’t have the setup for this (that I’m aware of), I’ve set up something at my WordPress sister site, Liegois Media. I have my own Internet storefront page where you can order my chapbook for $6 per copy. The link is below.

The Flow and the Journey

You may have sensed this if you have followed me1, but I am not a fan of the hot weather. When some of my work colleagues in April were praying for sun and warmth, I was thinking of how July 2024 extended into November of the same year and thought to myself oh, don’t worry, you’ll get it soon enough and get it hard.

Some people want to vacation in Cancun or Florida, I would prefer to go to Iceland or the Faroe and Shetland Islands. Some people want to go on cruises to the Caribbean; I would prefer a tour of the Rhine/Main/Danube rivers or a voyage of the Great Loop2.

With all that being said, if I had to go outside, I’d feel a lot more comfortable in a dense, cool, moist forest with plenty of shade rather than a tropical jungle, beach, desert, or other biome3. This, plus a bevy of mushrooms popping up in my yard4, inspired this poem.

Mushroom Hunt in the Forest

Fort Madison, Iowa, 26 July 2025

Crisp breeze

Wet air

Cloudy days

Now is my time.

Sneaking under the pine and oak canopy

On my own

Burlap bag over my shoulder

Mushroom knife in my true right hand

Well-thumbed mushroom guide in

My left.

I wander around the trunks

In the cool shade

On the lookout for

Cauliflower

Chanterelle

Hawks Wing

Honey Mushroom

Lobster

The Prince

And the Truffles.

I put them in my sack

Converse with nature

And get some satisfaction

That I can be resourceful

As my electric-deficient ancestors were.

To be honest, however, the deepest darkest place I tend to hang out in (if I have one) during the depths of the overheated Iowa summers has been a basement. My childhood home in Muscatine had a great basement where I spent most of my waking moments. It was my lair. In the first three homes I owned, they all had basements but were not quite set up for lounging, so I had to come up with alternative locations. My new home here in Fort Madison has a proper basement, with enough space for not only my home office, but a recliner and love seat, breakfast nook table, a utility room/storage area/work bench, more storage, bath and shower, refrigerator, and microwave. I need to be appreciative of the nice stuff I have. 🙂

Man Cave

Fort Madison, Iowa, 25 July 2025

Back when

Homo Sapiens Sapiens

Was just Homo Sapiens

Before they built castles

Long houses

Daub and wattle huts

And lean-tos

They gathered inside the natural caverns

In their irregular water and wind-carved

Empty spaces

To make them their own.

They liked the solid cool spaces

Sheltered from the elements

Secure from danger

With a dollop of safety.

I live in different times.

My caves are not rounded and irregular

But squared and measured.

My caves are not wet and living

But dry and dead.

However,

It is a good home for me

Not in tune with the natural world

A concrete, steel, and wood sanctuary

For a civilized boy like me.

That’s it for tonight. Hope you all don’t sweat to death the next couple (or few) of months56.

While I do appreciate you following this blog, I really would like you to subscribe to my Substack page. By subscribing to that page, you’ll not only be receiving my Substack newsletter, The Writing Life With Jason Liegois (the companion blog to this one), but you’ll also be signing up for my email list. Just click the button below.

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  1. And how. ↩︎
  2. Here’s some info in case you didn’t know what I was talking about. ↩︎
  3. I am not an outdoorsy person, as you will see. ↩︎
  4. Told you the photos would have some relevance. ↩︎
  5. Iowa only has maybe two perfect months of weather during the year. I have told my wife I do not wish to live anywhere between North and 40° South latitude. Currently, I live at 40°38’05” North. ↩︎
  6. Honestly, I would love to retire and live somewhere around 45° North or South, which would suggest somewhere in Minnesota, the Upper Peninsula, or Alaska. Or maybe southern Patagonia in Argentina. I like cold places, all right? In my final days, I don’t want to sweat to death, even in our climate change world. ↩︎

Poetry Night at the Writing Life, 28 June 2025: About what we keep and what we remember

a room with a chair and a desk in it

Hi, it’s Poetry Night once again. I’ve been busy this month with the imminent release of my book The Yank Striker’s Journey, so poetry hasn’t been on the front-burner of my brain1. But I I do have a couple of offerings for you tonight.

If You’re Interested in my Poetry Here… You Might Want to Check Out Some More

My first collection of poetry is out now.

Since Substack doesn’t quite have the setup for this, I’ve set up something here at Liegois Media. I set up my own Internet storefront page where you can order my chapbook for $6 per copy. This is the link, as is the one below.

The Flow and the Journey

As far as poetic inspiration goes, I ended up doing a bit of picking up and rearranging some things I’ve stored for a long time. I mean, some of these items have traveled with me for about twenty years at least and between maybe four different houses. The process inspired at least one poem, which I’ll share with you below2.

crates with potatoes
Photo by Carlos Moura on Pexels.com

Memory Memorials

Fort Madison, Iowa, 28 June 2025

Black plastic mausoleums

Sit ready to entomb

Talismans of memory.

Older resting places

Tearing carboard boxes and dirt-smeared tubs

Disposed for secure memorials.

Letters, trinkets, tickets, and keepsakes

Keys to memories faded or misplaced

Like forgotten jars in the back pantry

And older clothes tucked into the sides of closets.

Talismans tucked away

In hermetically sealed plastic bags and acid-free paper

Then into the black mausoleums stowed on steel shelves

The external hard drives of human memory.

All the thinking about memories, the ones you have and the ones you had, led me to write this related poem below.

bunch of photo print
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

Memories Lost

Fort Madison, Iowa, 28 June 2025

Why do memories fade

Other than short circuits and worn wires in the brain

Other than the subconsciousness

Protecting the front of the brain?

Do they get misplaced

Shoved into the back corners of the skull?

Do some memories have shorter life spans than others?

Or does the human hard drive have limited storage

Forced to overwrite older memories for higher priority ones?

It would be good to know

Because finding lost memories

Isn’t as straightforward as finding your phone or house keys.

That’s it for tonight. Hope you’ve had a great June and Pride Month.

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While I do appreciate you following this blog, I really would like you to subscribe to my Substack page. By subscribing to that page, you’ll not only be receiving my Substack newsletter, The Writing Life With Jason Liegois (the companion blog to this one), but you’ll also be signing up for my email list. Just click the button below.

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  1. And I’m sorry I blew through my usual deadline for releasing something today (5 p.m. Central). ↩︎
  2. There have been more than a few poems I’ve written not intended for publication (at least not immediately). That’s allowed me to be a bit more free with my experimentation and subject matter than the stuff I write with the express intention to share publicly. ↩︎

Poetry Night at the Writing Life, 24 May 2025: Inspiration from different places

Hi, everyone, it’s Poetry Night.

As I’ve mentioned in this space previously, the final steps to bring my latest book, The Yank Striker’s Journey, have occupied much of my mental capacity that hasn’t been drained off by the end of the school year. It’s a bit difficult to write poetry during these times.

If You’re Interested in my Poetry Here… You Might Want to Check Out Some More

My first collection of poetry is out now.

Since Substack doesn’t quite have the setup for this, I’ve set up something here at Liegois Media. I set up my own Internet storefront page where you can order my chapbook for $6 per copy. This is the link, as is the one below.

The Flow and the Journey

The first poem tonight was inspired by a conversation I heard the main character of one of my new projects have with his son. I ended up feeding into the themes of recent poems I’ve written, so I decided to go with it.

red and white boats on water
Photo by Simon Hurry on Pexels.com

What Your River Was Like

Fort Madison, Iowa, 23 May 2025

The boy asked me

What My River was like

I had to think

Because I’d not seen it in years.

There’s a river where we live

We’ve guided our boat down with the flow

But it’s not like My River.

This river is open, framed by surrounding mountains

And the cityscape

My River ambled through the wetlands,

Absorbed the throbbing summer heat

Muddy waters hiding, teeming with life.

I love to take my boy out on the river

But when we glide across the waters

I keep thinking about My River

Where I’ll never return

I wonder if My River would give me as much peace

As it does in my memories.

The second poem was inspired by a recent loss. Shortly after my most recent Poetry Night post, I learned that a close writing acquaintance of mine, Rodney Reeves, passed away after dealing with some health issues. He was a fellow member of the Burlington, Iowa, Society of Great River Poets, which I recently joined. He was a published poet, and at the time of his death was an officer with the Iowa Poetry Association. I can’t claim to have known him as well as many of his friends – we only got to know each other during the past few years of his life. But he was a welcoming presence at Great River Poets meetings who encouraged my initial fumbling with working in verse. I will miss him.

Thanks for the Words (Verse for Rodney)

Fort Madison, Iowa, 23 May 2025

I’ll always remember you sitting there

With a halo of gray hair and a warm smile

Always glad to see me and all the others

Who came to share their words.

You always had a joke,

Or an old music story

I remember how delighted you were

To see the new film about Dylan.

I knew about writing, about words,

I didn’t know how to play with them

Like the poets do

But you invited me and everyone else to the table anyway.

You wrote in the last poem I read of yours before the end

“Be bold never afraid to fail,”

So I’ll keep doing that

Whenever I play with words.

That’s it for tonight. Have a great Memorial Day weekend.

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While I do appreciate you following this blog, I really would like you to subscribe to my Substack page. By subscribing to that page, you’ll not only be receiving my Substack newsletter, The Writing Life With Jason Liegois (the companion blog to this one), but you’ll also be signing up for my email list. Just click the button below.

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Poetry Night at the Writing Life, 27 April 2025: Spring has sprung

Hi, everyone, welcome to Poetry Night.

I have to admit the poetry wasn’t as free flowing as it has been recently. There’s a good explanation for that – I’ve been in the midst of revising my upcoming novel The Yank Striker’s Journey. It’s a bit difficult to write words when you’re trying to trim down words you’ve written, among other skills. It’s especially true when you are trying to write in something approaching verse but revising in prose. But, those are the breaks, and I am dedicating myself to try and actually write poetry rather than just brag I write it every once in a while1. So, as usual, I decided to follow what was going around me as inspiration for today’s offerings.

If You’re Interested in my Poetry Here…

My first collection of poetry is out now.

Since Substack doesn’t quite have the setup for this, I’ve set up something here at Liegois Media. I set up my own Internet storefront page where you can order my chapbook for $6 per copy. This is the link, as is the one below.

The Flow and the Journey

Onto the new words. The first poem is inspired by the arrival of the shortest season in the state of Iowa – Spring.

Spring is Sprung

26 April 2025, Fort Madison, Iowa

It’s a fantastic feeling

Driving with the windows open

No sweat on your brow

Shirtsleeve comfort

Bright sun direct and above

No cloud in the sky

Enjoying the first soft-serve ice cream cone

Of Spring.

There’s a regret wrapped in the joy

Because this is Iowa

And in a few weeks

Summer and corn sweat will fill the air.

I couldn’t get revising off my mind this weekend, so it ended up in a poem.

Disappearing Words

26 April 2025, Fort Madison, Iowa

It’s a wonderful sensation

Just like creation

Of the words and worlds from your mind.

You feel accomplished again

When you read words then

Start making them disappear.

The aim is for

You to say less and not more

While allowing the reader to fill the empty spaces.

You hammer the words

Like the smith beat the swords

And leave yourself something strong and true.

That’s it for tonight. See you poetry fans back here in May.

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While I do appreciate you following this blog, I really would like you to subscribe to my Substack page. By subscribing to that page, you’ll not only be receiving my Substack newsletter, The Writing Life With Jason Liegois (the companion blog to this one), but you’ll also be signing up for my email list. Just click the button below.

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  1. 1I’m even writing several poems I’m not planning on publishing right away, which I never used to do. I like having the freedom of writing something without having the pressure of wanting to publish it right away. ↩︎

Poetry Night at the Writing Life, 22 March 2025: Poetry all over the place

Hi, everyone, welcome to Poetry Night.

The poetry has been coming fast and loose for me. There’s times where I have no idea what I’m going to write about, and other times when the words flow for me.

You might know I am a teacher, but did you know there is no requirement in the state curriculum of Iowa (where I live and teach) for us to teach about poetry? It’s a fact. But maybe it’s for the best. Poetry is one of those things you can’t force down someone’s throat. They have to be drawn to it, like I was later in life.

I never want to say I’ve got a handle on it, but during the past several months it feels to me I have a better handle on how to be creative in the poetry genre. But I’ve been writing either pro or semi-pro for nearly 30 years now, and there’s no way I will ever say I know everything there is to know about writing. To paraphrase the Russian chess champion Alexander Alekhine, an entire lifetime is not long enough to learn everything there is to know about writing. And I definitely don’t have enough time to learn everything there is to learn about poetry. So, I always have to keep in mind I’m always learning no matter what.

Hi, everyone, welcome to Poetry Night. I’ve got an interesting couple of poems to share with you, about both the digital world and the analog world. Hope you enjoy them.

I’ve been writing poetry with more regularity in recent months. For the year 2025 I have written six of them. At least two of them were not for publication in the short term or maybe even in the long term. It’s been therapeutic to express myself like that and not worry about other people’s opinions.

If You’re Interested in my Poetry Here…

My first collection of poetry is out now.

Since Substack doesn’t quite have the setup for this, I’ve set up something here at Liegois Media. I set up my own Internet storefront page where you can order my chapbook for $6 per copy. This is the link, as is the one below.

The Flow and the Journey

Now, on to the poetry.

This weekend I found myself again (slightly to my surprise) on the road and away from my expected places. I spent a lot of time in between places to stay due to circumstances beyond my control last year around this time, and it ended up inspiring quite a bit of poetry. To me, it’s not a surprise tonight inspired at least one more poem, as well. This was influenced not just by my own situation, but the circumstances of a group of people I have been looking into for research regarding another fiction project I have going on.

gray concrete road under gray sky
Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com

350 Days

22 March 2025, Des Moines, Iowa

As I hang out

In an overly equipped hotel room

I realize I’ve gone back

To life on the road.

I have to admit I’ve whined

About not knowing the rules of where I’ve traveled

Or the procedures

Or the routines

Or how to pack up and pack out

When I get on the road.

But as I try to accentuate the positive

And eliminate the negative in my life

I learn about how pro wrestlers

Who are people I admire in my life

Had to spend 350 days out of 365

On the road

At their craft

Making money to support themselves and others

On at least two different continents.

I wonder

I speculate

How much change and discombobulation

They had to go through

While getting their bodies and brains beaten in.

I submitted an earlier version of this poem to the Midwest Writing Center’s Iron Pen contest for the poetry category, I thought I did well, but the Society of Great River poets from Burlington, Iowa, had a few good suggestions for me. Those results and my own combine to the poem you will see below.

photo of two native americans playing woodwind instruments
This is what I got when I searched for “Our Tribe.” Photo by Gabriela Custódio da Silva on Pexels.com

Our People, Our Tribe

28 February 2025, Fort Madison, Iowa

I spent years gathering electronic friends through screens large and small

Only to find them as elusive as electrons

And just as invisible.

People who purported to be what they showed me in pictures and videos

But whose existences were no more permanent

Than flashes of static.

Once I traveled the electronic highways and byways to find my own people,

But the bots and electronic beings clogged the wires and waves

With no places for humans.

So I left those places.

I traveled longer in the analog world, epic treks compared to electronic laps

True humans and potential friends were sparse in the expanse

I found them.

People with whom I shared their homes, cooked their meals,

Whom I lived with, not observed and judged

And came to grok.

In the end, I found my modest tribe, insignificant to the electronic hordes,

We built our own world, we few and true

With love for each other.

That’s it for tonight. We’ll see what April brings.

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While I do appreciate you following this blog, I really would like you to subscribe to my Substack page. By subscribing to that page, you’ll not only be receiving my Substack newsletter, The Writing Life With Jason Liegois (the companion blog to this one), but you’ll also be signing up for my email list. Just click the button below.

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