An independent press
Stories after dark.
Classics brought to light.
EL Publishing is the home of Eric Leckey’s pulp noir and music writing, The Classics Selections of beautifully annotated great books, and Help Me Understand, companion guides that open the door to the classics.
Three shelves, one press
Find your next book
Whether you want a smoky noir tale, a great book in a fresh edition, or a friendly guide into one, there is a shelf here for you.
Books by Eric Leckey
Pulp noir short stories soaked in bourbon and black-and-white shadows, high school tales worth retelling, and the stories behind the songs from the Listen To This! podcast.
Browse the booksThe Classics Selections
Timeless works in carefully made new editions, each with a fresh preface, notes and a glossary, so a great book reads as vividly today as the day it was written.
Explore the collectionHelp Me Understand
Companion guides that make the classics approachable: the context, the people, the big ideas and why they still matter, written to send you back to the original with fresh curiosity.
Meet the seriesBooks by Eric Leckey
Pour a drink. Dim the lights.
“There was the scrape of a match and a soft gasp from the girl.”from “Trap” · Alcohol and Cigarettes
Our mission
Bringing the classics to life
Great books never stop talking. Sometimes they just need a fresh introduction.
Every title in The Classics Selections pairs the complete original text with a new preface, clear notes and a glossary, so the names, places and ideas that once tripped readers up become doorways instead. Alongside them, the Help Me Understand series gives curious readers a friendly way in, and a reason to pick up the original.
What readers said
Praise for the pulp noir
“In the tradition of old Pulp Noir magazines and with the fast pacing that the fast talking Film Noir's were known for...”
LA Writers Group / 2016
“Fun and quick paced. Packs a punch and is worth a read”
Small Press Review / 2016
“I find myself reading the book in the actor's voice whom I'm picturing playing the role on screen.”
OC Radio / 2016
New releases
The next chapter is coming
The Book of Tea and the first Help Me Understand guides are on the way. Follow along for new releases.