Poet. Writer. Teacher. Martian.
RICHARD LEIS is a writer of literary, speculative, and horror short stories and poems. His stories have appeared in The Molotov Cocktail and anthologies published by Crone Girls Press and House of Zolo. His poems have been published in various journals, including Star*Line, Eye to the Telescope, Impossible Archetype, The Laurel Review, Manzano Mountain Review, and the Adult Children anthology from Wising Up Press. He has been recognized for his work with multiple nominations for the Pushcart Prize and as a finalist in the Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards in 2018 and 2021.
“Ride an explosion, walk on another rocky surface, collect some samples, more vials, return with the samples on top of another explosion. We can be there to cheer them on.
“If all goes well.”
from “Goodbye to Rock”
With the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) team at the University of Arizona, Richard makes stunning images of the Martian surface taken by the HiRISE camera freely available to the public and science community. He shares the same spirit of exploration through his writing, offering to his readers glimpses of wonders both known and hidden in the dark.
Richard is a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association SFPA, the Horror Writers Association (HWA), including the HWA’s Oregon Chapter, and Willamette Writers. He holds degrees in Creative Writing and English from the University of Arizona and honed his craft in writing workshops and craft classes offered by the University of Arizona Poetry Center, The Writers Studio, the Tucson Festival of Books Masters Workshop, and Moanaria’s Fright Club. Drawing on his experience and expertise, Richard served as a writing instructor at The Writers Studio and as a board member for the Tucson Poetry Festival from 2019 to 2022.
Appearances
Read “Roadside Freak Show,” “Terminal Cladode Orientation in Opuntia,” and “The Roadrunner” at the 2022 Tucson Poetry Festival Open Mic on 24 Apr 2022.
Led poetry workshops at Making Space: A Workshop on Space, SciArt, & Society from 16-17 Apr 2022.
Read “Consideration” and “Bird Chooses to Make a Habitat of Heart” at the 2021 Tucson Poetry Festival Open Mic on 18 Apr 2021.
Read “Prescription for Far Sight” at the 2020 Tucson Poetry Festival Open Mic on 19 Apr 2020.
Read “[Aliens are here],” “Phantom Taste of Apricot on My Tongue,” “Cities Through Telescopes,” “City as Fairy Tale,” and “Burning Baby” at UNREAL: Readings from Writers Studio Tucson Teachers at Antigone Books in Tucson, Arizona on 18 Oct 2019.
Read at the Classes & Workshops Reading at the University of Arizona Poetry Center on 02 May 2019.
Image credit: Henry Tom [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Read “Coward’s Unsent Query Letter Including Chapter Summary of Memoir Not Written” at Secrets: A Writers Studio Tucson Reading at Antigone Books in Tucson, Arizona on 24 Feb 2019.
Read “These Are the Animals You May Eat” at Room: A Literary Reading at Antigone Books in Tucson, Arizona on 20 Oct 2017.
Read “He can wear hats,” “The Talents,” and “The Divorce of Lilith and Samuel” at The Hattie Lockett Awards Reading at the University of Arizona Poetry Center on 20 Nov 2014.
Image credit: Henry Tom [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Press & Interviews
Interviewed by Tom Maxedon for the Word podcast (KJZZ 91.5 FM), season 6, episode 7, “Seasons endings bring reflection and a look forward” (01 Jan 2022.)
Interviewed by Luke Burbank for the CBS Sunday Morning Primetime Special: “Forever Young: Searching for the Fountain of Youth” segment “Cryonics: Putting your future plans for life on ice” (28 Nov 2021.)
Interviewed by Tom Maxedon for the Word podcast (KJZZ 91.5 FM), season 5, episode 4, “National Poetry Month Part 1—The Tucson Episode” (01 Apr 2021.)
Mentioned in The Book of Resting Places: A Personal History of Where We Lay the Dead by Thomas Mira y Lopez (Counterpoint Press, 14 Nov 2017), pages 171 through 173.
Profiled by HiRISE for 4 Q &A: “Richard Leis, HiRISE Downlink Lead” (10 Dec 2014.)
Interviewed by Shari Rose for The Republic: “Cryonics believers alive and well in Scottsdale” (10 Sep 2014.)
Quoted by Robbie Gonzalez for io9: “See all the landing hardware that Curiosity scattered on the surface of Mars” (7 Aug 2012.)
Quoted for Fox News: “NASA releases video of Curiosity’s descent, rover returns images of Martian mountain” (7 Aug 2012.)
Interviewed by Jimmy Magahern for Phoenix Magazine: “Obama Futurama” (Apr 2009.)
[Article no longer available online]
Interviewed by Kelly McGrath for the Cronkite News Service: “With medical advances, many put faith in freezing” (8 Dec 2008.)
[Article no longer available online]
Profiled by Jerad Kaliher for Cryonics, vol. 29, no. 2, 2nd quarter 2008: “Member Profile: Richard Leis, Jr.”
Interviewed by Irene Messina for Tucson Weekly: “Can technology and science add to our human existence? Transhumanists think so” (14 Aug 2008.)
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