.jpg)
New Meridian Arts is a creative community dedicated to publishing innovative literature and poetry that gives voice to original writers of talent and scope around the world.
You Don't Know Who You Are Until You've Gone Too Far
This collection's first segment, Where Grief Fits In, explores mourning and hiding. The characters are forced into situations that make them uncomfortable, that drive them to hide, but ultimately, they must come to terms with their heartbreak and shame. Incarceration Nation, the second segment, is a collection of short stories revealing the tribulations of characters caught in penal and mental health institutions. Unmasked similarities between the institutions examine the damage inflicted on inmates and staff by the systems that envelope them. This exploration of how characters became entangled and rejected by the systems builds awareness of how mental health and penal systems fail.
"The characters in this collection go too far and put up with more than they should, but, almost without fail, each one gains some small understanding, some peace, and is able to move forward even if only by inches. It is that forward movement. which provides hope found in the collection."
— Mary Troy, author of Swimming Hwy N, Beauties, and Joe Baker is Dead
​
"These heart-rending tales expose the worst parts of self-discovery and the worst displays of human nature. From emotional prisons to real confinement, we feel the characters' pain as each tale brings a tear to the eye."
— Dean Persho, Books Boys Podcast and Radio Show
​
"Sackett reads as if Stephen King and Alice Munro had a child and Margaret Atwood were her fairy godmother. These tales of unfortunate events, trauma and grief with beams of hope stay with the reader forever."
— P.J. Bourke, Books Boys Podcast and Radio Show
​
"Sackett traverses the depths and heights of the human experience, wrapping words around unspeakable acts, expressing emotions most prefer to ignore, and crafting provocative stories that inspire deep reflection. Leah’s powerful, engaging writing is cause for celebration for readers everywhere."
— Elizabeth Ann Atkins, CEO, Two Sisters Writing & Publishing
About the Author
Leah Holbrook Sackett's published books include Swimming Middle River, White Knight Escort Service, and Raising St. Elisabeth. Additionally, she has a short story collection, Catawampus in Sweetgum County, scheduled for publication in spring 2022.
