We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Hendry Nelson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jessica Hendry thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

Well, as a college professor, I have lots of thoughts about the educational system, particularly higher education. When I teach undergraduates, I find that many of them secretly want to be English or creative writing majors, but they’ve been trained to view any humanities or art degree as a dead end path. Many of them are scared into a STEM business-related field. They miss out on the creative education they so desperately desire. This is, in large part, a PR problem. My students go on to become writers and educators, yes, but many also go into more “lucrative” fields like law, advertising, marketing, business, publishing, media, etc. Additionally, while STEM becomes increasingly automated through tech advances, many fields and buisnesses are relying on writers and creatives to steer the ship, harnessing on the power of their training in rhetoric, presentation, creativity, and storytelling. All of which is to say: I think art and humanities departments need to think deeply about how we’re presenting our programs to students (and parents), and adjust our curriculum to better meet the needs of the contemporary climate.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a creative writer working predominately in creative nonfiction across a variety of styles and forms. Primarily, I have focused the last five years on a multidisciplinary study of wonder. Most of the work I’ve published since 2020 exists in the center of a Venn diagram containing my most urgent creative, personal, and pedagogical questions explored through this lens. My most recent book is a culmination of this research titled JOY RIDES THROUGH THE TUNNEL OF GRIEF, which was published last September and won the 2022 AWP Sue WIlliam Silverman Prize in Creative Nonfiction. My previous books include the memoir IF ONLY YOU PEOPLE COULD FOLLOW DIRECTIONS (Counterpoint 2014) and the textbook and anthology ADVANCED CREATIVE NONFICTION: A WRITER’S GUIDE AND ANTHOLOGY (Bloomsbury 2022), with co-author Sean Prentiss. I work as a professor of creative writing at Virginia Commonwealth University, but I also freelance as a manuscript editor, working with clients to revise and edit their creative books-in-progress. And through my role at the university, I also serve as the Editor of Blackbird, our internationally-renowned literary journal. I think what I’m most proud of are the ways that I’ve cultivated a career that integrates my creative imperatives–writing, editing, teaching–while also staying authentic, not losing myself in the race to brand my identity.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

As a freelancer, growing my clientele is still largely a low-fi endeavor. There as been no branding or social media initiative that has been more effective than word-of-mouth. When my clients are excited by our work together, they tell others. 99% of my clientele are referrals or repeat clients.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I think this applies to my work as an educator, and as my role as an editor for various literary journals. One skill I’ve developed over the years is the ability to identify, cultivate, and reward the strengths of my students and interns.

Also, its hard to fake genuine enthusiasm. I am genuinely passionate about the work we do, and I think that translates into higher morale overall. If your leader is uninspired, it’s really hard to generate enthusiasm from students/employees/interns.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: Jessica Hendry Nelson
• Twitter: @jhnelson427
• Other: Instagram: @jhnelson427

Image Credits
Monica Escamilla