This is a new blog written by Leslie J. Claussen, which is me.  I’m resurrecting my blog to increase my presence on the internet.  That said, my posts while likely come out weekly, depending on my schedule.  My goal is to provide insight into my life and my journey.  But who the hell am I?

Well, my name is Leslie and I am currently a grad student in English at the University of South Dakota.  I am a writer by nature.  I am also a person who struggles with mental health.  I have bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.  As of writing this, I have been coping with my mental illnesses for over a decade.  But that’s a story for another day.

I grew up in Iowa and South Dakota and I was a classic farm kid: adventurous and creative.  I am an only child and I had to entertain myself somehow.

As part of my degree in English, I am writing a creative non-fiction thesis.  The thesis is called Delicate Chemicals and it is an exploration of my history, my family, and my mental health.  As part of my thesis, I have a list of books to read.  I plan to write a short post on each book.

Another project I am working on is something I’ve dubbed the Summer of Books (trademark pending).  To earn my English degree, I have read a pile of books which I will then be tested on.  To be honest, I should have read many of these books before this summer, but it is too late now.  Along with posts about my (more interesting) thesis reading list, I will post about this exam book list.

Now, welcome to my blog.  I have one favor to ask you.  Please, follow me on Twitter at Leslie J. Claussen.  Twitter will be my main contact with the world at large.  You can also leave comments on this blog.

Let’s do this thing!