Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Haaf
Hi Jason, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I didn’t write much after I graduated college and then, a few years later, late at night, I started playing with voice. What does my voice sound like now? What is the tone, what is the genre? I wanted to have an element of surprise and shock in my writing. Taking the autobiographical and giving it a punch, and maybe a pinch of neo-noir.
From there, I began making zines and was introduced to the cut-up method, made popular by William Burroughs and Brion Gysin. I began collaging, combining photos of vintage male erotica with my words. When 2020 hit, I wanted to chronicle what was happening in my own life as a way to relate to others, especially other Queer men. My first novel, “Harsh Cravings” was published two years later. Today, I continue to look for new, odd, creative, non-traditional ways of making art and expressing myself.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s been an interesting road. I’m learning that as a writer and an artist, one may not easily fit in one world or genre. You can easily feel both included and excluded simultaneously. The important thing, for me, is to keep exploring as many paths as possible.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in writing, in collage, but really, in non-fiction. I have a strong belief in confessional literature and anything that is diaristic in style. Minds may change with time and progress but to create a time capsule, in any medium, I feel is a bold action to take.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Riding in a car with my older brother and there was only flat leather seats, with no console or arm rests (it was an 80s car), and we were driving over a ramp and I kept sliding all over and wrinkling his landscape architect blueprints he had resting on the seat. He was getting mad, but I couldn’t stop laughing, and I had no control over sliding. It was the epitome of an annoying little brother moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jasonhaaf.com
- Instagram: @haafwit
