For Leif Gregersen, two months is an awfully long time to go between publishing a new book. The indefatigable writer last released a new book back in November. Actually, it was two books. Before that, there were five others that he self-published, all within the time span of just a few years.
Well, he’s back. Gregersen has just released a new poetry collection called Stargazer: My Life in Constellations, and with it, he is embarking on a new project to promote mental health awareness in the public, partly through presentations he is getting set to give through the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta.
“I’ll be going to schools and other groups like police training classes and give them a talk about what it’s like to have mental illness,” he explained.
This is something that has always been close to his heart. On his website at www.edmontonwriter.com, he states that severe mental illness has plagued his family. “Statistics show that one in five of us will seek help for a major mental health disorder at some point in our lives. Keeping this under the rug or in the closet is not going to help!” it states.
Writing has become a potent salve for the author who suffers from bipolar disorder and lives on disability assistance because of severe mental illness that has affected most members of his family, he says.
With some prompting from major supporter Richard van Camp, the author behind The Lesser Blessed, Gregersen has started another book, this time one that is specifically designed to appeal to youths.
“I have been working on a graphic novel about mental health awareness that I plan to sell or distribute to teens who for whatever reason can't afford or can't stomach my longer and more expensive mental health memoirs (as I call them),” he explained, half-joking.
“Richard has written a couple of public health comic books. He gave me the idea to write a script for a mental health comic. I don’t know the best way to go about funding it, though.”
To that end, he has set up a crowdfunding campaign at www.gofundme.com/oneinfive1in5.
“One in five of us living in the Western world will at one point in our lives have to seek treatment for a mental health issue. This means that you, or someone close to you is very likely to one day need help,” he writes on the campaign site.
He is looking to raise $750 to finance the illustrations, printing and some distribution of the comic. It will be about a young man with mental illness who faces the stigma and other personal difficulties before finding new hope in treatments, understanding and social acceptance.
“I feel this graphic novel could help a lot of people.”
Those who contribute at least $10 can get a copy of the new book, while donations of $30 will earn a choice between his two memoirs, Through the Withering Storm and Inching Back To Sane.
Beyond that, he is also helping out with Edmonton’s poetry festival and does live poetry readings at the Upper Crust CafĂ© (through the Stroll of Poets) and at Rouge Lounge (hosted by the Breath in Poetry Collective). He’s interested in conducting writing workshops too.
“I’m getting a lot more interested in poetry. The public speaking … it’s a great way to make contacts. What I’m interested in most is making connections. The life of a writer is a long process of building your way up. You can make a decent income but not your first try out, unless you’re really lucky.”
“When I was a kid, one of my friends would say, ‘if I ever won the lottery, I’d do this, do that’. You could buy a lottery ticket and get a one in a billion chance of winning or you can sit down and do your work and use proven methods to, one day, be absolutely 100 per cent for sure be well off. And that’s the way I always looked at it. That’s how I do my writing.”
He has arranged for two book signings in the next week, the first taking place on Wednesday at the University of Alberta Hospital’s gift shop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. He will also be in this city at Chapters on Saturday, Jan. 24 from noon to 6 p.m.
All of his books are available through Amazon. You can find links through his website.
