In conversation with Jenny Jaeckel

Jenny Jaeckel is the author of House of Rougeaux, her debut novel, winner of an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for Hisorical Fiction and was named one of Bitch Media’s 25 Must Read Books of 2018; and the forthcoming companion book Boy, Falling, to be published by Black Rose Writing in July 2021. In our time together we talked about how the art of being more real is one of Jenny’s core themes in her work and life.

Listen to the interview

Takeaways from this episode:

1. Jenny’s debut novel, House of Rougeaux, was one of Bitch Media’s must read books of 2018
2. Other people’s experiences and cultures can seem exotic, especially to children
3. Striking the right note at the right time means that it resonates personally and with others
4. There’s no formula for the writing life or creative process
5. When things explode all sorts of possibilities emerge for us
6. The craft of writing often means dealing with the confetti of the editing process; and a good editor creates lots of confetti!
7. Writing is essentially a solo experience, but even when the writing is done, it’s not finished until it reaches and resonates with an audience
8. Rather than beta readers, Jenny works with sensitivity readers who help her navigate the politics of representating life experiences she can never know
9. Living to be the best you can be means getting out of your own way so you can perceive other realities with more clarity
10. Truth is a construct we aspire to. It’s inifinitely subjective and fluid and can’t be pinned down as a finite ‘thing’.
11. Jenny’s latest book is House of Rougeaux

Mentioned in this episode:

• Niko comix
• House of Rougeaux
• Boy, Falling

Meet Jenny

• Catch up with Jenny on her website at: https://jennyjaeckel.com/
• Follow Jenny on Twitter @jennyjaeckel

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