Ask the Author: Jendi Reiter
Answered Questions (9)
Jendi Reiter
"My mother has my new cell phone number. And she has yours, too."
Jendi Reiter
I've always daydreamed about visiting Narnia because I would love to meet Aslan. He is a loving, strong God-figure that doesn't have the same psychological baggage for me as anthropomorphic images of God as Father or Mother.
Jendi Reiter
At the top of my list are new poetry chapbooks by Naila Moreira (Water Street) and Ellaraine Lockie (Tripping with the Top Down), Danielle LaPorte's spiritual self-help guide White Hot Truth, Patrick Cheng's gay Christian book Rainbow Theology, and M/M romances by E. Davies, TJ Klune, and Christina A. Pilz.
Jendi Reiter
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it. For more of my poetry, check out my newest collection, BULLIES IN LOVE (Little Red Tree, 2015).
https://www.amazon.com/Bullies-Love-J...
https://www.amazon.com/Bullies-Love-J...
Jendi Reiter
Frog and Toad, from Arnold Lobel's picture books. (Headcanon couples totally count.) They are patient with each other's differences, push their own limits in order to stay close to one another, and can express a lot of devotion and happiness by simply being present together, without too many words.
Turning to "official" fictional couples, I relate very much to Adam and Henrietta Swann in R.F. Delderfield's "God is an Englishman" family saga. They learn to stay in love over the course of a long relationship and complement each other's strengths as business partners.
https://www.amazon.com/God-Englishman...
Turning to "official" fictional couples, I relate very much to Adam and Henrietta Swann in R.F. Delderfield's "God is an Englishman" family saga. They learn to stay in love over the course of a long relationship and complement each other's strengths as business partners.
https://www.amazon.com/God-Englishman...
Jendi Reiter
I'm working on "Origin Story", the sequel to my debut novel "Two Natures". While the first book centered on healing the rift between sexuality and spirit, the second will explore how our identities are chosen or formed by forces beyond our choice, and what makes them authentic.
The main character is Peter, the man whom Julian loves and tries to win in "Two Natures". (No spoilers—read it and see if he succeeds!) While working as a mentor in a transitional home for at-risk youth, Peter collaborates with a teenage bi-gendered artist on a gay superhero comic, whose themes start to parallel traumatic memories he's unearthing. Peter's controversial discoveries challenge Julian to confront beliefs he's internalized from his Southern Baptist upbringing, such as the "ex-gay therapy" myth that homosexuality is a curable disorder caused by abuse.
The main character is Peter, the man whom Julian loves and tries to win in "Two Natures". (No spoilers—read it and see if he succeeds!) While working as a mentor in a transitional home for at-risk youth, Peter collaborates with a teenage bi-gendered artist on a gay superhero comic, whose themes start to parallel traumatic memories he's unearthing. Peter's controversial discoveries challenge Julian to confront beliefs he's internalized from his Southern Baptist upbringing, such as the "ex-gay therapy" myth that homosexuality is a curable disorder caused by abuse.
Jendi Reiter
The magic of creating something from nothing, or rather co-creating, as a channel for Spirit.
Jendi Reiter
I've learned to trust that the fallow periods are necessary for as-yet-unknown seeds to germinate. This change in attitude helps me write in a way that is more loving toward myself and my characters. There's a fine line between self-discipline and a practice that's driven by fear and control, and I think I'm getting better at finding it.
When I run low on energy to create, that's a signal for some soul care: journaling, praying, reading my Tarot cards, therapy, and immersing myself in music and TV shows that inspire me.
For instance, my novel "Two Natures" is set in the NYC fashion and advertising world, so I binge-watched "Mad Men" and "Project Runway" and listened to the dance music of the 1980s-90s that my characters would have heard in gay nightclubs. Besides immersing me in my characters' world, these shows taught me a lot about perseverance and working with the unexpected in the creative process.
When I run low on energy to create, that's a signal for some soul care: journaling, praying, reading my Tarot cards, therapy, and immersing myself in music and TV shows that inspire me.
For instance, my novel "Two Natures" is set in the NYC fashion and advertising world, so I binge-watched "Mad Men" and "Project Runway" and listened to the dance music of the 1980s-90s that my characters would have heard in gay nightclubs. Besides immersing me in my characters' world, these shows taught me a lot about perseverance and working with the unexpected in the creative process.
Jendi Reiter
The theme of my debut novel, Two Natures, arose from the ongoing conflict in contemporary Christianity over equality for LGBT people. I was baptized in the Episcopal Church, which has been at the forefront of this debate since we ordained an openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, in 2004. The issue tore apart some of my Christian friendships and prayer circles, including the writing group where I was working on the earliest drafts of this novel.
I was raised by two mothers in New York City in the 1970s-80s. Because of work and personal problems, they had to remain closeted, so we were cut off from gay culture during a pivotal era of community-building, activism, and artistic expression. Writing about gay New York is a way for me to connect with that history now and imaginatively live the alternate life I wished for.
I was raised by two mothers in New York City in the 1970s-80s. Because of work and personal problems, they had to remain closeted, so we were cut off from gay culture during a pivotal era of community-building, activism, and artistic expression. Writing about gay New York is a way for me to connect with that history now and imaginatively live the alternate life I wished for.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more