Leslie is a prolific poet, having produced six books in about five years (I joke that even in conversation he rhymes!) His poems are a whimsical blend of fact and fantasy with poems about local characters of Eastern PEI as well as poems such as one about local fisherman towing an island down to the Caribbean for the Winter! Here are his books in chronological order:
Whats Goin On? Tall Tales and Fibs of Prince Edward Island I Did
(ISBN 978-0-9783995-4-2)
(for link to amazon click here) Here is a collection of 55 down-to-earth poems about characters and events on Prince Edward Island, Canada. There are poems about various characters who march to their own drums, poems about of local Ceilidhs (entertainments with a variety of local performers), a poem about a crew of inept sailors who run aground, and even a poem in which a group of Lobster fishermen decide to tow a local island to a warmer climate for the winter. Much of the material is taken from his eccentric performances where he reads poems in appropriate accents and dialects while dressed in unusual hats and shirts. It is a thoroughly entertaining book with many specific details about people and places on the island.
Sands of Time: Believable Island Stories
(ISBN 978-0-9783995-7-3)
(For link to Amazon click here) This second book of Leslie’s poetry is rich with images of Prince Edward Island. There are pieces about looking out to sea and the variety of seasons. There are stories about shipwrecks and ghosts of sailors long passed away. Island halls and Ceilidhs have their place. There is a dialogue between potatoes and a romance between cows! Young Witch Hazel experiments with flying and there is even a PEI version of the Nativity. Leslie’s poems are always readable and fun to read out loud–as he does at various Island performances.
Home at Last
(ISBN 978-0-9783995-8-0)
(For link to Amazon click here) This third book of his poetry continues in his very accessible style with poems about children and grandchildren, wife shopping, cats, thanksgiving, and even an historical equivalent of a Nativity story on PEI. Most poems are accompanied by photographs and some function as a tourist’s guide to Prince Edward Island.
Go’Way: Island Folklore and More
(ISBN 978-0-9866065-3-3)
(For link to Amazon click here) This 4th collection of Leslie’s poems continues in his varied and sometimes outrageous style with pieces about revenge on an unfaithful husband, a local restaurant and a waitress, dropping a knife on his sister’s head, a local character who collects bottles to recycle, making wine in a leaking tub, etc. His topics all have local colour and the poems are short and easy to read. Some are of true events and people while others are quite fanciful, but his ability as a poet is confirmed!
Some Book of Island Story-isms
(ISBN 978-0-9866065-6-4) This considerably longer book includes many short stories along with the poetry and is available either from Leslie or through Amazon. This is Leslie’s fifth book of poetry and short accounts about events and people on Prince Edward Island. As the (alleged) quote of his granddaughter on the back cover says, “My grandfather, Leslie Stewart, wrote this small and charming book of poems and short stories. Its name truly does reflect his own unique outlook on life. “Some Book of Island Storyisms” now what kind of a title is that? Be careful not to believe all that you read, as only some of the truth in his stories may be there. Just a smidge of the truth is all my grandfather needs to tell a really great story. I believed all of these stories, truly I did!”
- Handy Book of an Island Wordsmith
(ISBN 978-0-9918033-5-4)
Leslie has assembled a fifth “last” book of his poems and short anecdotes. His previous book was a finalist for the Prince Edward Island book awards…he points out that his was the only poetry that actually rhymed!…and this one should be well on the way for the same. As usual it is rich with anecdotes and descriptions of Island life and people. Especially powerful is his daydream in church where he imagines he is stoned! He recounts the long history of a rocking horse that became a sled and working for a contractor in a barn where he is almost buried. The poems cover a wide range of topics including romantic ones and ones about aging. For sheer variety of views of Prince Edward Island, this is the book to get.