Once in a while, I deliver a quirky little sermon. (Scroll to the bottom if you want to skip the backstory and go straight to the video. But the backstory might help.) Preaching feels like this to me: Oh hello! I found this handful of things. You want any of this? Often I find myself …
Joy! Big Fiction Magazine (which published my novella a few years back) recently launched a podcast and invited me to be one of the first guests. I had such a fun and meaningful conversation with editor, writer, and wonderful human being Juan Carlos Reyes. Among other things, we talked about Writing while raising a family …
“If I’m going to tell you the story of how I lost two people who were closer than blood to me, I have to begin here in Dennett, Texas, during the summer between the sophomore and junior years of my life. This story begins as it ends, with me, Cirilo Izquierdo, waiting for what all …
NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month. Never done it! Going to try it. For six weeks now, I’ve been creating these little meditations on how to return to center when we’re distressed, dispersed and distracted. Writing fiction is a centering practice for me. I start to feel weird and cranky when I’m not doing it. Which is …
In eleven days, an election. You know, just a little run-of-the-mill, things-have-been-pretty chill-up-in-here election. (In seriousness: If you wanted a quick primer on the specific things at stake in the midterms, I liked this handy 5-point summary from Vox.) By the way, this is #5 in a series called Center. I’m writing this for you if «•» the news …
What—another rough news week? (Gosh, I am shocked, shocked.) So it turns out we’ve got twelve years to get serious about climate change. In other words: My little boy just started pre-K, and by the time he reaches tenth grade, we need some serious environmental come-to-Jesus. Everybody registered to vote? ℘℘℘ On the subject of listening …
For you who are feeling distracted, drained off, distressed, dispersed. Tough news day, yes? (I’m writing this on Sept. 28, 2018—the day after the Senate testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh—but it feels like that could describe a lot of news days.) Tough news day. In which I found myself thinking, again: What can I …
An excerpt from my review of Alice Mattison’s new novel Conscience, just published in Consequence Magazine (under my married name). Consider: A man sets his baby on the sidewalk, walks a short distance away, and sets himself on fire. Does the fact that he’s brought his child to his self-immolation prove he is out of his …
“Tell me what you’ve been thinking about lately,” I said to my husband. (This is—a friend pointed out to me recently—a classic Jen HW question. I like to hear people’s deep thoughts: what they’re wrestling with, who and what they love, what they’ve always wanted to do with their lives. You’d be amazed how deep …
First of all—hi. Warmly. Because that’s how you’ve always greeted me—with love. Remember me? I’m Jen. You were a big brother or sister to me about a decade ago when I warily stepped into church—intrigued by Christ, frightened of Christians—and you shocked me with how kind you were and how closely you listened. That one …