Join Jessica Handler at her upcoming events and appearances. Stay tuned for dates and locations, and don't miss the chance to connect with the author behind "The Magnetic Girl" and other acclaimed works.
Writing about grief, loss, or trauma can feel overwhelming. Where do you begin? How much should you reveal? And how do you shape painful experience into something meaningful—for both you and your reader? Robert Frost famously said, “No tears for the writer, no tears for the reader.” But turning raw emotion into compelling narrative requires more than catharsis. It demands reflection, structure, and the willingness to uncover what’s at the heart of the story. In this 90-minute live webinar, we’ll explore how acclaimed memoirists and essayists approach emotionally charged material—and how you can apply their techniques to your own work. We’ll look closely at the roles of conflict, joy, and meaning-making in shaping personal narrative and discuss strategies for writing that is honest without becoming unmoored. You’ll leave with practical tools to deepen your creative nonfiction and move your work forward—with insight, clarity, and connection. We’ll also revisit Frost’s lesser-known companion quote: “No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.” Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.
Join me in conversation with acclaimed author & rock drummer Peter McDade as we discuss his new novel, KING CAL. In the course of one ordinary day, Atlanta fast food worker Calvin loses his girlfriend, his band, and his best friend. Suddenly, everything he had planned to spend the rest of his life doing seems to have flown away. Told with insight, sensitivity, and deep respect for what it really takes to make a life in music, “King Cal” is a coming-of-age novel about a determined young man who starts with little, aims to earn a little more, and has to decide whether success—or even clinging to his dream—is worth the sacrifice.
Set in a time of emerging electricity and heightened Spiritualism, "The Magnetic Girl" is an inspired novel about women's quest for political, cultural, and sexual presence.
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From insightful interviews to engaging essays, see how Jessica's work continues to resonate with readers and critics alike.
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Articulate. My husband has a twelve-inch-tall action figure of me — I’m serious — about the size of a Barbie doll. She is “fully articulated,” which in action-figure speak means that her arms and legs and head can swivel. When he had this made, he had one made of himself, too. It was a passing fad, a kind of a joke between us.
Stop what you’re doing, and pay attention to your senses. How your fingers feel on the keyboard, or your feet on the floor. What about sound? Is your playlist going (and what’s on it?) or is that a trash truck grinding away on the street?
Excerpt from "The World to See" forthcoming from Regal House
This is one of those stories you bring out near last call so you’ll never have to go home.
