Lesléa Newman
Current City, State, Country
Birth City, State, Country
Biography
Lesléa Newman was born in Brooklyn, grew up there and on Long Island and currently lives in western Massachusetts. She was especially close to her maternal grandmother, Ruth Levin, who came to America in 1900 when she was ten years old, and lived to be 99. From her grandmother, she learned, “Just because they say no to me, you think I’m finished?” and is proud to be the descendant of a long line of outspoken Jewish women. Lesléa believes the most effective way she can perform acts of tikkun olam is by creating books that change the world. She writes out of her own particular Jewish lesbian experience about the universal human experience. Some of her 86 books for readers of all ages include the fully-illustrated poetic biography, Always Matt: A Tribute to Matthew Shepard (illustrated by Brian Britigan); the dual memoir-in-verse, I Carry My Mother and I Wish My Father; the novel-in-verse, October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard; and the children’s books, Joyful Song: A Naming Story (illustrated by Susan Gal); Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed (illustrated by Amy June Bates); Gittel’s Journey: An Ellis Island Story (illustrated by Amy June Bates); The Babka Sisters (illustrated by Tika and Tata Bobokhidze); Sparkle Boy (illustrated by Maria Mola); and Heather Has Two Mommies (illustrated by Laura Cornell). Her poems have appeared in many print and on-line publications including Lilith Magazine, Minyan, The Jewish Writing Project, Moment Magazine, Tikkun, Lavender Review, The Sun, MacQueen’s Quinterly, Writing in a Woman’s Voice, Mom Egg Review, Pangyrus, Solstice Literary Magazine: and Seventeen Magazine. Lesléa’s literary awards include poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, two National Jewish Book Awards, two American Library Association Stonewall Award Honors, an Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award, and the Massachusetts Book Award. From 2008–2010, she served as the poet laureate of Northampton, MA. Of all her achievements, what made Lesléa’s mother most proud was the fact that her daughter was a New York Times crossword puzzle clue.
Published Works
I Wish My Father (Headmistress Press, 2021)
Lovely (Headmistress Press, 2017)
I Carry My Mother (Headmistress Press, 2015)
October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard (Candlewick Press, 2012)
Hachiko Speaks (Finishing Line Press)
Nobody’s Mother (Orchard House Press, 2008)
Signs of Love (Windstorm Creative, 2000)
Still Life With Buddy (Pride Publications, 1997)
Author Site
Links to Sample Works
Video Reading
Education
Naropa Institute, Certificate in Poetics, 1980
University of Vermont 1977, B.S. in Education 1977