Stuff
Jenny Nelson Revealed
About Jenny Nelson
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What is your birthdate?:7/9
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Previous occupations:Web editor and producer, public relations
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Favorite job:Writing
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High school and/or college:Mamaroneck High School; Wake Forest University, St. Louis University in Madrid, University of Colorado at Denver (I liked moving around!)
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Favorite movie:Lost in Translation
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Favorite television show:The Wire
Revealing Questions
- Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
- A. Happy, hectic, rewarding, hopeful, funny ... and sometimes not
- Q. What is your motto or maxim?
- A. Be your own girl (or boy)! I'm constantly saying this to my twin six-year-old daughters, but it's something we should all try to remember.
- Q. How would you describe perfect happiness?
- A. My entire extended family (dogs included, of course) together on a sunny, summer day enjoying a delicious al fresco meal that we've all helped to prepare. There'd have to be a selection of amazing cheese, a bottle or two of rose, grilled fish, a bunch of salads made with veggies from the garden, and my favorite dessert: my mom's angel food cake with mocha filling, whipped cream frosting and dark chocolate shavings. Oh, and berries, too, because every dessert tastes better with berries.
- Q. What’s your greatest fear?
- A. Not my greatest, but a fear nonetheless: getting stuck in an elevator -- seriously, I'm a big fan of stairs.
- Q. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
- A. Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia, at sunrise.
- Q. What are your most overused words or phrases?
- A. "Do you know what I mean," "exactly" and/or "totally."
- Q. What do you regret most?
- A. Not taking full advantage of college -- what I would do to take all those amazing classes now!
- Q. If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
- A. Playing piano and being able to pick out tunes by ear.
- Q. What is your greatest achievement?
- A. Writing a novel and getting it published.
- Q. What’s your greatest flaw?
- A. Procrastination -- the internet is not always my friend.
- Q. What’s your best quality?
- A. I'm a good listener.
- Q. What trait is most noticeable about you?
- A. People routinely describe me as "petite" a.k.a "short."
- Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?
- A. People who clip their nails on the subway.
- Q. What’s your fantasy profession?
- A. Film director
- Q. What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
- A. A sense of humor, honesty, compassion
- Q. If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
- A. Grilled chicken ceasar salad -- it's the perfect meal in a bowl
- Q. What are your 5 favorite songs?
- A. Let it Loose, Rolling Stones; Either Way, Wilco; Rock and Roll, Velvet Underground; Embraceable You, Billie Holiday; Stardust, Willie Nelson
On Books and Writing
- Q. Who are your favorite authors?
- A. Jhumpa Lahiri, Alice Munro, Jennifer Egan, Jane Austen, Michael Cunningham, Michael Chabon
- Q. What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
- A. Unaccustomed Earth, Jhumpa Lahiri; In The Time Of The Butterflies, Julia Alvarez; The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald; Empire Falls, Richard Russo; The House Of Mirth, Edith Wharton
- Q. Is there a book you love to reread?
- A. The Great Gatsby
- Q. Do you have one sentence of advice for new writers?
- A. Sit down, turn off your email and write!
