“Hey, you’ve got to meet Jen,” my sister said. “She’s been looking for a West Virginia-based publisher, and she’s definitely a heathen. Also, be warned: she’s a hugger.”
And that was my first introduction to Lewisburg Laureate Jennifer Jones.1Official title pending (or, at least, it should be)!
Soon after, an email landed in my inbox in which Jen complimented the design of our website, and my comma usage, qualifying the latter with: “That is a compliment of the highest degree.” And, well, as far as tribalism goes, I’m Team Oxford Comma for life, for sure, and forever. (If you’re also on the Team, then we’re already friends.)
What followed was a string of rapid-fire emails wherein we shared our brief histories, our love-hate of all things West Virginia, and, of course, some poetry . . . Yes, I write poetry; in fact, the germ of the idea of book publishing was first planted in my mind years ago, long before Heathen Editions was ever a fancy in mine eye, when I was exploring the viability of self-publishing my own collection of poetry, before, ultimately, resigning myself to the realization that the cost-to-benefit ratio at the time didn’t make monetary sense. Oh, how far we’ve come . . .
But back to the emails: Jennifer started pitching some of the projects she wanted to actualize, beginning with a series of children’s books (which we’ll probably get around to at some point), before segueing to a few themed poetry collections.
She tried a few on me for size, and none really clicked until: “Somewhere down the line, I want to put together another compilation. I want to call it Jagged Edges. I have the image that I want to see on the cover — a jagged piece of barbed wire. Grief and angst.”
And, for whatever reason, that did click — then dug in, like a splinter (or, you know, barbed wire), and refused to leave me alone. The idea of a Jagged Edges cover manifested itself — then, rapidly, the low-resolution idea resolved itself to the point that, within a week, I had to design it so as to be exorcised of it, and so it was birthed fully-formed as you now find it on the cover.
And the moment I saw the cover complete, I knew (or so I thought), instinctively, without even seeing the poems that it would house, exactly how the collection would present itself.
I pitched Jen, “The way that I see Jagged Edges is white on black, or grayscale on black, accented with a single color. Like the cover, the barbed wire is white and shades of gray on black, accented with the red blood . . . I think this project lends itself to that idea perfectly, where each poem is white words coupled with some simple image in white or grayscale accented with a single, bold color, all on a black or mostly black background . . . Maybe each poem can be a two-page spread?”
Nine days later, I found myself in Lewisburg to meet with Jen for lunch to make it official.
As I pulled in to park at the sushi restaurant where we agreed to meet (because I will never say no to sushi!), I remembered my sister’s warning. And, sure enough, the moment we spotted each other in the parking lot, Jen giggled, then plowed into me like a linebacker and squeezed like we were best friends who hadn’t seen each other in a decade.
It’s true: be warned: she’s a hugger!
And, certainly, Jennifer herself is a book not to be judged by its cover. Her scrawny, punk-rock appearance and Southern West Virginia twang belie a blistering wit, an encyclopedic knowledge of poetry, and a mind that moves at the speed of light.
Ofttimes, when speaking to someone, I wonder if they’re truly listening or simply waiting to respond. Not so with Jen. There’s a calm intensity to her listening, as if she’s not only listening, but also digesting, dissecting, comprehending, computing, reverse engineering, as if she’s not merely listening but fully engaged with and wholly understanding each word selection, inflection, and nuance. Then, when it’s her turn to speak, that calm intensity rockets to life and you can tell the stream of thoughts are happening faster than can be spoken — in a full-on, half out-of-breath sprint — where there’s more to be expressed than can ever be expressed through the limiting, physical act of speaking . . . It’s no wonder this little lady is such a prolific poet!
I imagine that if Jen couldn’t express herself in some artistic medium on the regular, the explosion would be so nuclear that it’d make ol’ Oppenheimer blush.
By the time I arrived home that evening, the first draft of Jagged Edges was waiting in my inbox.
Two days later, my work began, and, very quickly, my original, pitched concept evolved. Having published over sixty Heathen titles now, I’ve learned to meet each book on its terms. Sure, I bring my own ideas to a work, but at some point a book inevitably begins to dictate how it wants to present itself — it’s not about what I want to say; it’s about what the book wants to say, both verbally and visually.
Where I thought each poem of Jagged Edges should be simple, grayscale images coupled with single, bold colors, the richness of Jennifer’s poetry began to demand the full spectrum of color. And I couldn’t argue. As I tried to shoehorn the first few poems into my original idea, experimentation proved again and again that Jen’s poems did not want to be constrained. Much like the poet herself — and as a snapshot extension of her light-speed mind — these poems simply have too much to express to be limited by my basic concept.
And so I acquiesced: full color it would be. Like throwing open a gate on a corral of wild mustangs: run, be free!
Four months later, as we neared completion of Jagged Edges, at some point it became evident to Jen that I wasn’t going to assume equal credit on this work. But, to be clear: while I did create all of the artwork herein, this book isn’t mine. It is, without any doubt whatsoever, Jen’s. I simply allowed her poems to speak to me, then rendered them as they wanted to be; sometimes abstractly, sometimes overtly on the nose, and at all points in between. It is my sincere hope that as you progress through this book that my contributions become invisible as quickly as possible because it’s not about what I want to say; it’s about what Jen and her poems want to say.
And so, what is it that awaits you in the pages ahead, exactly?
You’ve likely heard the term “graphic novel” to describe a book-length comic book. Well, I like to think of Jagged Edges as “graphic verse,” which is to say that full-color artwork accompanies each poem in this volume. And each piece of art has been created using a wide variety and mix of mediums (fonts, drawings, paintings, digital images, collages, and photographs) to intensify, amplify, and underscore the respective poem it accompanies.
Simply: it’s art in service of words.
And something that you may have already noticed about this book is its lack of page numbers. That is a conscious, mutual choice that Jen and I agreed on. About halfway through the book, we realized that each piece was so different and unique that to mar them with page numbers would detract from their spirit and potency. Indeed, we hope that you won’t simply power-read though the book inside an hour or in one sitting, but “sip” each poem as if it were a fine wine or whiskey, or “nibble” each as if they’re a rich dark chocolate, allowing yourself to sit with each poem for a while, letting its complex bouquet of words and imagery to linger and flower.
A lack of page numbers should also imply that there is no recommended order in which to experience this book. Yes, you can read each poem, one after the other, in successive order — or you can flip through it at random and let the universe decide which poem you should happen upon next. Whichever path you choose, I hope you enjoy the “sipping” and “nibbling.”
Finally, I have a favor to ask of you: since this is the very first work published under our newest imprint — Heathen Poetica — it would be amazing if you could let us know how you think we’re doing, whether that’s by leaving us a review on your preferred platform of choice, giving us a shout-out on social media, or by contacting us through our website: let us know what you think of this book, and if you’d like to see more like it because, now that Jagged Edges is finished and done and in your hands, Jen’s already champin’ at the bit to begin the next one! . . . something about light-speed minds and wild mustangs . . .
Sheridan Cleland
Co-Heathen
August 2026
