Staff reports 6:12 a.m.
Monday, February 19, 2024 6:11 am

ROCHESTER - J. L. Long, a local novelist and host of the monthly Rochester Writers Night literary salon, recently released his debut poetry chapbook, Fireworks are Just Pretty Bombs, and other poems.

From the volatile mix of longing and loathing explored in the title poem to the bold defiance in poems such as "Burn Down Everything You Love," the poetry collection explores the full gamut of human emotion and experience.

The official chapbook launch and live reading by the author is scheduled for 6 p.m. during the March 6 Rochester Writers Night event. The reading will be held in the Rose Room at the Rochester Public Library, located at 65 South Main St. in downtown Rochester. An open mic will follow the live reading.

The chapbook is available through Lulu Books (www.lulu.com/spotlight/jllong) as an ebook and from Gumroad as a paperback (jllongwrites.gumroad.com).