Denver Author Jay Halsey Tells Nothing but the Truth in Barely Half in an Awkward Line

Jay Halsey is nothing but an honest man. The Denver author’s main reaction to seeing his new book in print is one of humility, indicative of the personal, direct nature of his writing and photography that channel the history of his own troubled life.

Barely Half in an Awkward Line, published by the Seattle-based small press Really Serious Literature, plays out as a plain-spoken patchwork of essays, poems, photos and personal musings collected over more than a decade.

“I never had the intention of any of these be in a book,” Halsey says of the impressionistic works. “I’ve been sitting on a lot of these pieces for twelve years.” But he first grew more comfortable with the idea of sharing his private and often autobiographical thoughts at informal readings, where he felt emboldened by his power over the emphasis of every spoken word.

“I started reading out loud at this showcase called Don’t Yell at Me," he recalls. “That group is where I got my legs in the Denver scene, and I would honestly write a lot of this stuff just to have fresh material to read.” Halsey also paid more attention to polishing his written words and establishing spoken rhythms that might be lost in print.

In spite of his growth as an author ready to share his work, it took a hint from his fellow writer and partner Hillary Leftwich (author of a new memoir, Aura, from Future Tense Books) to encourage Halsey to gather and submit his private words.

“Hillary was the one who lit the fire under me about a year ago,” Halsey explains. “She said to me, ‘Hey, Really Serious Literature has an open call for manuscripts.’" His proposal was accepted, and he talked Really Serious into including his photos as part of the package.


They set to work patching together a manuscript from disparate pieces, focusing on continuity and, in Halsey’s case, choosing and formatting about thirty photographic images to use out of a stockpile of “tens of thousands of photos.”

The themes emerged neatly: social pressure, social anxiety, bad relationships, chemical abuse, recovery and the consequences of a life of always being on the outside are a few, notes Halsey, who adds that The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is still one of his favorite books. But he hopes to show change and redemption in the pages of Barely Half in an Awkward Line.

“I don’t mind seeing evolution,” Halsey says of the book’s path. “A lot of the pieces formed years ago when I was really struggling with alcohol abuse and nights where I wanted to shut down altogether. But I don't necessarily want people to think this is where I'm at in my life.

“I really want to reiterate that this book is very honest,” he adds. “Everything I write — everything in it is true. Whether poetry, prose or essays, it all comes from lived experiences. There is nothing fictional in this book, and honesty goes a long way. I don't think I'm the best writer in the world, but I do think it’s honest. That’s what I hope people get from it.”

And it does come through: Jay Halsey is a transformed man.

Barely Half in an Awkward Line book launch and group reading, Counterpath, 935 East 14th Avenue, Saturday, October 29, 6 p.m. Guests include Jay Halsey, Akusua Akoto, Eric Baus, Steven Dunn, Andrea Rexilius and host Hillary Leftwich.