Twitter: @mooninabucket/IG: @moon.in.a.bucket (Writing/Blog); @mooninabucket (Visual Art Portfolio)
Francesca Leader
Writer, Artist.
Winner of Southeast Reviews 2023 World’s Best Short-Short Story Contest
I’ve identified myself in different ways on different platforms: as a lapsed scholar (I earned my M.A. in Modern Japanese Literature in 2006, only to burn out and leave academia the following year); as a neurodivergent creative (ADHD – a limitation that doubles as a superpower – has deeply impacted my work); as a self-taught writer (I have no formal training in my primary form of expression, which I learned the way I prefer to learn – by doing); as a self-taught artist (my father, a landscape painter, told me art school ruins more artists than it makes, and urged me to follow my instincts); as a Montana expat (the wildly beautiful State that raised me, though I never expect to live there again, is always home, always the backdrop of my mind). I think the truest thing I can say about myself is that art – whatever form it may take – guides my life.
As a writer, my interests lie primarily in telling stories (through poetry as well as fiction) that spring from gender- and culture-based conflicts. However, I’m not wedded to any ideal of what a piece of writing should look like, or how it should sound. I enjoy letting the distinctive mood or persona of a piece drive its rythmn and cadence, the shape it takes on the page. I like to explore and experiment. I like the idea of never writing the same way twice.
As an artist, I enjoy creating images strongly-rooted in mythological archetypes, which I use to express concepts and emotions both personal and universal: the double-edged sword of femininity; the inherent inequality of romance; the need to feel understood. I don’t seek visual perfection in my artwork because it’s not within my reach. Rather, I seek the alchemy that happens when my imperfect but nonetheless unique abilities are well-matched with the idea I want to express.
Thank you so much for taking an interest in my work.
You can find links to my fiction, poetry, essays, artwork, and other things by accessing the navigation menu below.
Francesca Leader 