Black Kettle: Novellas Connected
by Jason Leclerc
Are We All Black Inside?
NEW BOOK EXAMINES THE HYPOCRISY IN US ALL…AND SHOWS US A BETTER WAY TO LIVE AND LOVE
“What is ‘great’ about America could not have happened without the destruction of indigenous American culture, and without the confiscation of their lands and resources,” says columnist, poet and author, Jason Leclerc.
A prime example is the story of Black Kettle, a peace loving Cheyenne Indian chief whose tribe was massacred by a rogue American military detachment during the Lincoln presidency even after raising a flag of truce and promises of peace.
In his new book, Black Kettle: Novellas Connected (Archway by Simon and Schuster Publishing, August 2016), Leclerc explores the many manifestations of hope and deceit in the human experience. As a novella collection – as much sweet and sensual as sadistic and sullen –independently complete stories burst forth with playful vigor, featuring heroes and antiheroes alike. Leclerc uses the stories of Abraham, Lot, Sodom and Gomorrah to highlight the ambivalence of the heirs to the “American Dream” and “Manifest Destiny,” who must also own the horrors perpetrated along the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
A thought provoking work of short stories meant to be savored individually and then, over time, the relationships between the stories organically reveal themselves, Black Kettle:
- Explores the concept that we are all “black” inside – meaning we are the same with no one color more (or more importantly, less) important than another
- Demonstrates the fluidity between sexuality and gender identity and the labels we use to interact with the world around us
- Encourages readers to think in terms of “and, also” instead of “either, or”
- Provides controversial parallels to contemporary news stories including the role of government, police brutality and gender identity
- Explains his original genre and writing method termed “semiotic arbitrage”
“I strive to reintroduce humanity and nuance into situations that stand as metaphors for these issues,” adds Leclerc, “and challenge readers, then, to re-examine those issues.”
Black Kettle is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in bookstores everywhere.
Jason Leclerc is an internationally renowned poet (PoetEconomist.Blogspot.com), prolific blogger (SemioticArbitrage.blogspot.com), film-maker (FLAG, 2018), and political columnist (Watermark Magazine). As concerned with form as he is with quality storytelling, the author of Momentitiousness brings his socioeconomic theories to bear each day through trade.
Connect with Leclerc on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and http://momentitiousness.com/black-kettle/
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