MANILA, Philippines - Tucked away in her house by the ocean, Lang Leav happily spreads her Vegemite and butter on a crisp slice of toast, a bitter spread that is an acquired taste, which ultimately acts as a repellant against pesky mosquitos that constantly suck at her skin. Although her love for Vegemite might be unique, her poems are infused with a familiarity that certainly satisfies her avid readers and loyal fans.
Choosing poems as a medium of expression in her two prose and poetry books, Love and its sequel Lullabies, Leav introduces us to the spontaneous nature of poetry and its ability to help her cope with not only her feelings but those of her fans as well. She finds beauty in the idea that in poetry, the person reading it is the protagonist. This is unlike novels, which usually present their own protagonist. Despite the fact that her novels have a structure that tells us the story of love and loss and their complex natures, Lang Leav translates, for her fans, these unfathomable feelings and expresses them with delightful simplicity.
Admiring poets like Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost and Sara Teasdale, Leav says poetry “chose” her. One thing that didn’t come naturally was her ability to create art. After attending the College of Fine Arts in Australia and working with pencils, pastels, acrylics and countless other materials, Leav arduously worked on refining her skills. This led her to include a set of fluid and striking images that grace the pages of her beautifully constructed books. Drawing inspiration from the fantasy worlds of Alice in Wonderland, the Narnia Chronicles and the Harry Potter series, Lang is able to create images that are sweet and dark at the same time, revealing her range of talents to the world.
Although it is usually hard to get her out of the house, Leav bravely faced the daunting warnings of typhoon Ruby and signed hundreds of copies at her local book-signing event. She said that differing interpretations is what she truly loves about poetry, leading her to compose and compile poems for a third installment of her series. She teased that this book will include more illustrations, as that is something that fans constantly look forward to. Leav is also in the midst of completing her first-ever novel, to be published after 2015.
Leav, although adventurous with food, will never go on a rollercoaster ride or bungee jumping. Despite being resistant to thrill-seeking adventures, she is a poet who definitely understands the tumultuous nature of love, its ups and downs and its ability to make one feel sheer joy or overwhelming sadness. “Your words are your power, never forget your words,” she has written. Words help this author touch readers and it is her way with words that has ultimately touched our hearts.