I write daily, diligently, ritualistically, passionately, and preferably for children and young adults.
I've spread lots of information across the pages of this site, so have a look around. If you have a project that demands creativity, wit, research, and above all, excellent writing, please email me: jen.michelle.mason (at) gmail (dot) com. Also, feel free to friend me on Facebook, tweet me on Twitter, or plus me on Google+.
I received an M.F.A. from the Writing for Children and Young Adults program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. I am actively seeking ways in which to unleash my talents on the world's most imaginative and sophisticated readers: kids!
I live in the side of a gingerbread mountain in southern Colorado, where bald eagles, hawks, and magpies (who think they are just as majestically fierce as hawks and eagles) swoop and dive outside my windows. I practice Aikido at Durango Shin Budo Kai, learning self-defense, bokkendo, jodo, and hand-grappling techniques. The precision, self-refinement, and harmony required to excel at this martial art certainly influence my writing.
Previously, I lived in Ireland, on the breadcrumb shores of Sandycove, just twenty minutes south of Dublin. While there, I received my M.Phil. in Popular Literature from Trinity College Dublin despite having spent many geeky hours sitting in the Old Library smelling the honey-dusted manuscripts and folios.
I received B.A.'s in English (creative writing) and History from the University of New Mexico. I have published poems, short stories, and essays. I was the Program Coordinator of the Honors Program at UNM. That is, I ran the front office, the website, and all events, while keeping all the students and faculty on track. I also worked for a long time at a credit union, managing tellers and tracking the vault (yeah, I've handled fat stacks, yo).
I grew up in the New Mexico boot heel, among creosote and coyotes -- which ought to make me durable, timeless, and wild -- supposing those things had any influence on my upbringing.
