About Me

Atlanta, Georgia, United States
My first book, "Invisible Sisters: A Memoir" has been named one of "Twenty Five Books All Georgians Should Read!" I would love to visit your bookclub, either in person (in the South) or through the magic of electronics. My writing has received a "Special Mention" for a 2008 Pushcart Prize. I have been honored with a residency at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in Bethany, CT., a Fellowship at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts in Rabun Gap, Georgia, and the 2009 Peter Taylor Nonfiction Fellowship at the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop. Locally, I teach workshops in creative writing, memoir, and feature journalism, and am a member of the faculty of an art college, where I teach screenwriting. I hold an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.) and a B.S. in Communication from Emerson College, in Boston. I used to work in television. I did not push the broom behind the elephant. Usually, I served as mahout - I drove the (allegorical) elephant. If he was SAG or AFTRA. Rock stars do not scare me.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Random Acts of Kindness


To the neighbor (and reader) who left the gift of a new, leatherbound, pocket notebook in our mailbox, personalized with a lovely note about their reading experience with Invisible Sisters, I am speechless. I called and left a thank-you message with your partner, who answered the phone and I know will pass my thanks along, but you and readers like you make all the tough writing days, the "where is this metaphor going" writing days, and the "I have nothing worth saying" writing days all but vanish.

I'm so moved by your generosity of spirit.

And I needed a new notebook.

And will do something nice for someone else.

2 comments:

rchoward721 said...

Jessica...thank you for your kind words of thanks for the journal. I was so moved by your book that I have purchased additional copies to give to some of my close friends to read.

Reading "Invisible Sisters" was such a great experience...I laughed, cried and most importantly...it helped me to put a lot of things in perspective about my own life.

Thank you for sharing your gift.

Rod H.

jessica handler said...

Me and my big bloggy-ness...

I'm so glad the book resonated with you, not because of sorrow, but because of reaching (or seeing the horizon of) the other side.