“Where my eyes are turned outward and inward at the same time, this is where I find my depth.”
– Terry Tempest Williams, “Finding Beauty in a Broken World”
Everything I create is born from lived experience: the natural world I study and explore; the communities and individuals I encounter on my travels, both home and abroad; the students I teach; the witness I bear to the potential of the human spirit, unleashed. A keen sense of curiosity, adventure, intuition, and authenticity informs the way I write. An expression of joie de vivre and a celebration of strong women and wild places are ever-present themes in my work. I strive to balance humor with the profound. I revel in the playfulness of language—the tiny explosions that occur when the right words are placed next to one another. The task of rendering the indescribable into language brings me back to the page day after day.
What inspires people to get up and take action in their community? What makes them share themselves with each other? I am fascinated by what breaks down the barrier between writer and reader. A lifelong learner, I love the way vulnerability and self-discovery intersect with the writing process, and how exploring the world through creative writing helps me better understand my place within it. I believe that the role of art is to connect people to each other, to their environment, and to the experience of being alive.
Jenny O'Connell 