I tell you it's all about getting to know people this week. The god that is Neil over at Citizen of the Month gave me another assignment. This one with the very creative Jenn over at akajesais. This is a continuing the great interview experiment.
What to say about Jenn. She is writer and a photographer (even she denies). Very smart and very politically aware, she has a smart little blog. We find out about her favourite conservative -- sounds like I'd like him too.
Things you need to know, Ms. Jesais works in marketing where as I am in PR. If we were in a large for profit company, she would be "those people from marketing" and I would be "those spin doctors in PR." (Basically the two professions intertwine, and well, both require a bit of a creative streak. Jenn's more so than mine. I just have to make you believe, I don't have to make you buy. (Although some would argue both are equally difficult.
So if Emily could give us a drumroll please. Here is the interview with Ms. Jenn.
I am reporter that has fallen over to the dark side. I'm now in PR. I miss the writing. I see you are part of a number of blogs, one of which is dedicated to writing. How would you describe writing in fitting into your life? Do you think great writers are born or do you think they are made? What appeals most to you about writing?
Writing is what I do and who I am. Writing keeps me sane, and is the one creative outlet I have which I can successfully take what is in my head and make it come out on the page the way I envisioned. With other creative endeavors it's never quite the way I imagine.
And great writers are made. It requires practice and study like any other skill. There may be some innate talent, but the true greatness requires time and dedication.
When I went to New York last year I stumbled up on an exhibit for Henri Cartier-Bresson. I watched the documentary with the artist talking about his work. And I wrote this quote in my notebook: "That
which is done with time, time respects." Reminded me how important it is to Take the time to do a thing right, and it will last. That's the kind of writing that I want to do-- the kind of writing that requires time and dedication, not just desire.
Can you explain the name of your blog to us. Why akajesais? Is there a story we need to know? Did you get hate mail during the whole freedom fry debacle?
First of all, I'm not sure I was blogging during the FRENCH fry debacle-- stubborn me will always call them french fries. And the name of the blog has to do with my nick name, Je Sais... My sister always says, what's with the "jesus" thing? but being Canadian you probably know means "I Know."
My friend Ralph used to call me Je Ne Sais Quois... instead of my given name Jennifer... and for the new millenium, New Years Eve 1999... after much champagne.... we all gave ourselves new names. I believe it was my idea, so I renamed my self Je Sais. (I've always been a smart ass) I wrote the whole story back in 2004 when I started my blog, you can read the details if you like.
You call Ben Stein your favourite conservative. And from following your blog for a week, I think I can safely say that GWB is not your favourite president. What do you personally hope for in the new administration, and what do you think needs to change?
I believe I called Ben Stein ONE of my favorite conservatives. I think my favorite conservative is probably my sister's roommate Scott, but that's probably because he's cute and stocks the freezer with Alaskan salmon and halibut every summer.... we feast year round... but I digress.
Hmmm. wonder where you got the impression that I am not a GW fan. I thought I was so subtle in keeping my opinions to myself.... What I hope for in a new administration is first and foremost a president who can actually speak English and won't embarrass me by say, giving the prime minister of Germany a little massage (can you say personal boundaries??). I also hope for a president that won't lie to the American people and take us into a war that has no end in sight and serves no purpose beyond making the US an even bigger target for terrorism and lines the pockets of the military industrial complex and allows the government to take away bit by bit, our personal freedoms... in the name of Homeland Security.
Beyond that, what REALLY needs to change is the polarization and the divisiveness that is so prevalent. I mean how do we expect to accomplish anything or make any progress on issues like HEALTHCARE when liberals and conservatives look at each other like the enemy.
There are a lot of photos on your site (I love the photo of the ball from yesterday.) Assuming (and it's not clear) that you take your own photos, how do you approach photography differently than writing as a creative pursuit? If you had to give one up which one and why?
Yes, those are my own photos. Glad you like the ball! Photography is pure PLAY and much more In The Moment than my writing is. My blogging is probably more akin to my photography than my "real" writing is. I don't feel the need to sculpt and work on the words on my blog to the same extent as I would with the memoir I am writing.... photography is the same way. I can just snap and snap and snap and every now and again I get a good photo. (it was different before digital!)
I'd give up photography first... writing keeps me sane.
Quick Hits à propos of nothing:
I see you seem to have a deep deep deep love for sushi. (I love the stuff too.) There was a recent study that found that most sushi grade tuna has frightening high levels of mercury in it. I love tuna in all shapes and sizes. Question is: What do we do now?
YES. I read that too. Tuna of course being one of my favorites. I don't worry too much since honestly, although I love the sushi I don't eat it all that often. Maybe once a month. You can't live your life in fear. Moderation is good.
Like I said I work in PR, is it true that the marketing people laugh at us?
Ahh. I would never laugh at PR people. I used to be a PR people. I worked for a PR agency in Chicago... our specialty was restaurants and I've written my fair share of press releases. Even now I write press releases for my job along with my marketing duties. So I'm not laughing. Are you?
The folks at work call you Google Girl, so what is your favourite Google gadget ever?
This is a tough one. I was an early adopter of gmail. Love it. I also really like Google Translate:
http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en (I was a Spanish linguistics major in college) and of course Google Maps and Google Earth.
My son recently cried at the end of T2 when the Governator was lower into a pit of molten lava. Would you?
Probably not. not that I don't feel for the governator, even in his terminator form... it's that I don't really go for that kind of movie as a rule. I tend to like the more offbeat flicks, the Little Miss Sunshines, the Napolean Dynomites, the Amelies....
Hope these will do.
These do fine. Thanks for asking!
I keep thinking about that question... maybe I do approach the
photography like my writing. I journal, I blog and something sticks,
and I develop it further. Also with my photography I like to zoom in
on things, examine the details, the oddities, and I think I do that in
my writing as well.
A big thanks to Jenn for taking the time to answer my questions.
