Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Crystal

Hi Jennifer, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?

I first became interested in the genre of Writing to Heal during my senior year at Middlebury College, where was I was an English major with a focus in creative writing. For my senior project, I wrote a long-form essay about the last year of my grandmother’s life. I began to see the benefit of processing through grief, or any adversity, in writing, and also saw how written stories can honor those who are no longer with us.

I then went on my own unexpected healing journey, getting diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses that rendered me bedridden for the second half of my twenties. Again, I turned to writing as salve. I was too close to my situation to write about it–and too exhausted to write more than a paragraph at a time–so I started sending funny emails to friends, reminiscing about our time studying abroad in Paris during college. Connecting with friends in this way was critical social medicine. The stories reminded me that I had once been a vivacious person, and helped me escape to a happier time. Eventually, as I got better, I was able to put the anecdotes together into my first book, Et Voilà: One Traveler’s Journey from Foreigner to Francophile.

I got physically well enough to attend graduate school in Boston, where I earned my MFA in creative writing and gained the perspective needed to begin writing about my medical trajectory. I started publishing personal essays and op-eds, and became a weekly columnist for the Global Lyme Alliance. I began writing my memoir, One Tick Stopped the Clock, during graduate school; it was published by Legacy Book Press this September.

I now help other people craft and share their stories. I created the Writing to Heal Immersive Program at Grub Street Creative Writing Center in Boston, and have taught Writing to Heal as a Winter Term course at Middlebury College and as part of the MFA in creative writing at Lesley University.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

The biggest struggle was becoming too sick to write or even think straight when I was acutely ill with chronic active Epstein Barr virus and the tick-borne illnesses Lyme disease, babesiosis, and ehrlichiosis. These conditions caused immense fatigue and joint aches that made it difficult for me to type or hold a pen. Brain fog clouded my thinking, at times making it impossible to comprehend a simple paragraph or come up with the words I wanted to say. I was bedridden, unable to work or care for myself. I wondered if I’d ever be able to write or teach again.

Thankfully, I was able to battle my illnesses into remission–twice–and now am capable of both teaching and writing, gifts that I do not take for granted.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I am a writer and educator who is passionate about the transformative power of personal narrative. I am also passionate about elevating patient voices as part of our understanding of medical illnesses. I specialize in teaching creative non-fiction, particular Writing to Heal. In addition to helping others mine and craft their stories, I write about my own chronic illness experience for the Global Lyme Alliance and for various publications. My memoir, One Tick Stopped the Clock, was published by Legacy Book Press in September. I am also a Senior Writer and Patient Experience Representative at Harvard Health Publishing, where I worked on the Lyme Wellness Initiative.

My students say that I am known for creating a container–a safe space for them to write and share their stories in community. I try to lead from within, learning with and from my students. I always keep Atticus Finch’s advice in mind, that “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his perspective…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” I’m grateful for the opportunity to walk in other people’s skin when I learn their personal stories, and I try to help them express those stories in a way that fosters empathy.

What are your plans for the future?

Right now, I’m very excited to be touring with One Tick Stopped the Clock. I’m thrilled to be able to share my memoir with others and connect with them at various events. I offer speaking engagements and readings at bookstores, libraries, organizations, schools, book clubs, and more. I’m hoping to connect with fellow patients, with medical practitioners, with lay public looking to learn about the chronic illness experience, and with anyone who is interested in the transformative power of storytelling.

Pricing:

• Book is $17.99

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jennifercrystal.com

Image Credits

Two of the photos are credited to photographer Jessica Vultaggio.