and other releases from the unique world of Jacob Louis Beaney

When a writer’s drive to complete a novel is because he doesn’t want to waste the money he used purchasing ISBN numbers, well, quite frankly, he’s alright by me. Honest and funny, Jacob Louis Beaney’s stories have been an interesting hole to fall into. An independent mastermind, Jacob is an artist foremost. His lino prints adorn everything from covers, bookmarks to the hand written notes of thanks for taking a look at his work. Hmmm, foremost is probably not the right word, because as much as I admire his artwork he is equally an excellent storyteller.

Bedsit Bohemia – A Sort Of Romance begins in a three bedroom council house. Life is what it is, a repetitive cycle of entrapment, bad love and psoriasis but this doesn’t quash the spirit, it only gives fuel to the endless beauty of experience which is so perfectly retold in these chapters. At times his reality feels like a mash up of autobiography and a long game of Plants V’s Zombies. Nice and nasty, over the top and surreal chapters that make you melt out of your own mire and smile. Though Bedsit Bohemia was made to dip into like a three week old salsa with a stale corn chip, I was hungry for it. Jacob is a sharp emphatic and all-round observer of the insanity that surrounds us. While some chapters tell a rich and poignant tale others like Sandwiches, well, just didn’t make the cut and yeah it’s failure simply journaled as such, a failure, in this slim tome.

Always on the search for adventure, his fuel for tales is none more exotic than Crab Stick. A riveting retelling of one man with 3 pound fifty, on a desperate mission to fill the pages. He brings out the big ones Tragedy, Death… Romance and Thrush all hidden inside a glorious spine of hand printed dangling light globes.

I loved reading Bedsit Bohemia. It suited my mood after a week consuming mainstream news, bad advertising, urban myths and bullshit through no choice of mine. Beaney’s words were a balm of truth, and as I looked out the balcony staring at the traffic thought Jacob Louis Beaney shall need a bigger shelf to sit on. I’m hooked.

His poetry books that I also snatched in my current bundle, are more genius fun, A Few Poems, Some More Poems & A Few More Poems can be found at his Etsy shop, where if you are extra lucky you might just get a chance to grab his ‘duck bath ashtray’ or get to test your skills on his limited edition game of chance ‘Which Is Wee?’ All well worth your support as Jacob has loads more ISBN numbers to use up.

You can find Jacob at your next local fete organising games of whack a rat, tombola or offal bingo or search him on twitter but he never tweets, or farcebook but your gonna have to search that one out.