About Me: sassy and independent; not afraid of tackling a mess.

***07/2019: Quick update / sidebar***Please note!

 Many thanks to Imaginary Foundation for usage of “Beginning is Near” as JPNoteworthy’s iconic homepage artwork. It is truly one of my favorite photos and they kindly allowed me to use it on this site. So many times images are lifted off the web without giving the artists or creators their due. Please DO visit their website for more info about what they do or to buy a print. Thank you!

URL: https://imaginaryfoundation.com/collections/art-prints/products/beginning-is-near-artist-proof

After reading my previous “About Me” narrative, I decided it was time for a refresh. Things have certainly changed. My family has changed. My work situation has changed. The world is still turning but the way I see and experience it has radically changed. Looking at my About Me statement from just two years ago I felt a disconnect. About Me was overdue for an edit.

Roughly 18 months ago, I began doing background research for a novel. The storyline is based on my Spartan grandparents, who lived through unthinkable conditions during WWII and the civil war that followed.

My research on WWII lead me to research other U.S. shenanigans abroad and I came away both enlightened and more cynical. My studies altered my perspective sharply: the way that I view diplomacy, war, and empire has certainly taken on a new edge.

Independent media is a strong and increasingly necessary component of information-sharing today.  I take fact-checking and source material seriously and post links for readers to dig deeper into topics. I welcome corrections and questions, so please don’t be shy.

Given the nature of the news items I cover, I have to mix it up a bit and lighten the heck up once in a while. Check out the Proprioceptive section for what I’ll loosely call poetry and my work on a Boston-based fashion magazine called DreamRose Lifestyle, which I embed into this site quarterly. These projects lighten my heart, though I admit that I’m somewhat shy about sharing my poetry.

I’ve always used a free-flow method to create poetry and fiction. I later learned at an Esalen retreat in Big Sur that my method had a name: the Proprioceptive Method. It’s a fun departure from deep, research-based reporting and essay writing, because it relies on quieting the “thinking” mind and writing exactly what comes up – no editing. It’s a deeply personal exercise,  and one I encourage all writers to try as a way to connect with what I’ll call the egoless “Soul-Self”. Drop all pretense, take a few yoga breaths and let the pen in your hand voice all your inner dialogue, without hesitation. You’ll be amazed at what bubbles up! And if you’re not, you can always burn it later…

Namaste, and thank you for reading.

Jennifer P.