Last night’s continuation of 1455’s Author Series was a profound pleasure on both professional and personal levels. I can accurately describe myself as both fan and friend of the extraordinary Jenna Blum, and during the two decades I’ve known her, I have been in awe of her talents, passions, productivity (!), and humility. What makes her truly special is that she also is the literary citizen by which all literary citizens must be measured: she not only cares, deeply, but she makes things happen (!!). She has been a ceaseless supporter of other writers, she appreciates readers, and she’s done as much as any human being is capable to help connect artists and audiences. Check out our conversation, below, but also make sure to check out A Mighty Blaze, which I consider one of the rare and necessary miracles to come out of our global pandemic (talk about getting lemons and making lemonade; this is more like the tastiest whiskey sour, but I digress…).
The occasion for last night was a glorious one to be sure: discussing and celebrating Jenna’s delightful memoir WOODROW ON THE BENCH (TL;DR: if you consider yourself a “dog person” you need this book; if you enjoy candid writing that expertly combines sadness and bliss, check it out, and –still not convinced?– if you simply marvel at line-by-line excellence, there’s much to admire in this book, which will hopefully be a gateway to the Jenna Blum archive.)
What a gift to hear an author discuss not only the concept but craft of a masterful narrative, and a bonus to dive more deeply into the importance of community — especially in the literary arts. If this is your introduction to Jenna, I envy you, but I also invite you to the fan club that I am pleased to include myself in!
As always, it’s our pleasure to partner with D.C.’s historic Potter’s House and we encourage you to support independent booksellers by procuring your copies of WOODROW ON THE BENCH via their website.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Since she adopted him as a puppy fifteen years earlier, Jenna Blum and Woodrow have been inseparable. Known to many as “the George Clooney of dogs” for his good looks and charm, Woodrow and his “Mommoo” are fixtures in their Boston neighborhood.
But Woodrow is aging. As he begins to fail, the true nature of his extraordinary relationship with Jenna is revealed. Jenna may be the dog parent, but it is Woodrow, with his amazing personality and trusting nature, who has much to teach her. A divorcée who has experienced her share of sadness and loss, Jenna discovers, over the months she spends caring for her ailing dog, what it is to be present in the moment, and what it truly means to love.
Aided by an amazing group of friends and buoyed by the support of strangers, Jenna and Woodrow navigate these precious final days together with kindness, humor, and grace. Their unforgettable love story will reaffirm your belief in kindness, break your heart, and leave your spirit soaring.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jenna Blum is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of novels Those Who Save Us, The Stormchasers, and The Lost Family; the novella “The Lucky One” in the collection Grand Central; and memoir Woodrow on the Bench, about her senior black Lab and what his last seven months taught her, available from Harper Collins on October 26, 2021.
Jenna is one of Oprah’s Top Thirty Women Writers, with her work published in over 20 countries, and cofounder/CEO of literary social media marketing company A Mighty Blaze. Jenna’s New York Times and internationally bestselling first novel, Those Who Save Us, won the Ribalow Prize, awarded by Hadassah Magazine and adjudged by Elie Wiesel; Jenna interviewed Holocaust survivors for the Steven Spielberg Survivors of the Shoah Foundation for five years. Jenna is a public speaker, traveling nationally and internationally; for her 1st novel, she visited over 800 book clubs in the Boston area alone.
Jenna is based in Boston, teaching at Grub Street Writers, where she has been running master fiction and novel workshops for over 20 years; she earned her M.A. in Creative Writing from Boston University and was the fiction editor for AGNI Literary Magazine. For more information about Jenna and to share her real-time adventures, please follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
