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Jennie Shortridge The Best of All Worlds by Eileen Nicol

A lot more buzz is happening around this book,” says Seattle author Jennie Shortridge, about Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe, her recently released third novel. It’s probably because her main character, Mira, has so much in common with a huge portion of the book-buying public — women over 40 struggling to figure out who they are in a society that exalts unlined skin and firm breasts. “It’s difficult especially in this particular time because there are such higher expectations,” says Jennie. “You know, ‘50 is the new 30’ — oh my God, why? Can we please just be 50 and be wonderful?”

Jennie Shortridge is not a huge fan of conventional paths, or conventional titles. Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe deals with the inherent conflict between staying on the straight-and-narrow-married-Mom route and drifting off the road (literally) to find a more authentic female self. Eating Heaven, her second book, features an overweight food writer’s quest to make peace with her body and some long buried family secrets. Her debut novel, Riding with the Queen, concerns a somewhat “skanky” (Jennie’s word) down-and-out rock and roll singer who returns home to a troubled family. At age 48, with a fourth book in the editing process, and ideas for a fifth rolling around in her head, Jennie is pleased with her slow but steady rise in the writing world. And if her path to full-time author has lacked some of the usual props like an MFA — or even a college degree — she wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s natural for readers to confuse an author with her characters, and Jennie has learned to expect book group members to gasp, “But you’re not big!” when she visits their meetings to discuss Eating Heaven. Elements of her real life do intersect with her novels, though: She loves to cook and eat, and at one time wrote for magazines, like Eleanor does in Eating Heaven. She left home right after high school and sang in rock bands, like Tallie in Riding with the Queen, although she claims she more resembles Tallie’s sister Jane, who is “the plain one.”

Other pieces of her background have contributed to Jennie’s writing career, even if they haven’t found their way directly into her novels. When she was 20, she landed a receptionist job with a regional advertising firm in Denver. “The partners let me learn everything — they let me learn how to write copy and do paste-up and buy media,” she says. “It was wonderful.” Fifteen years later, she was director of sales and marketing and “totally burned out.”

She felt the need to do something else, something that would engage her heart. By that time she had met and married her husband Matt, an Australian engineer and musician who had come to the U.S. on a two-year contract. They began their relationship by playing music together and became the ultimate duo. He supported her dream to find something more satisfying to do. “I have super horrible issues about making money and pulling my own weight in the world, and that doesn’t happen immediately when you start over. It’s a huge risk, and Matt was more willing than I was to take it.” With Matt’s support, she quit her job and began a self-styled apprenticeship in writing, publishing in magazines and newspapers.

By 2003, Jennie and Matt had moved to Portland, Ore., and Riding with the Queen was published. Jennie’s marketing background gives her a leg up on many authors, and her experience onstage helps, too. “It’s kind of hammy,” she admits, laughing. “I love doing the promoting part.” For that first book, she wrote and recorded “Tallie’s songs,” and performed them at her readings. “I love doing readings, which a lot of authors hate, but it’s probably the old musician in me that loves to get up in front of people and tap dance.” Jennie makes herself available to discuss her novels with local book groups, and will even participate over the phone with out-of-town groups. She’s comfortable promoting her books, realizing that publishers no longer do that for smaller authors. And it has paid off. “It’s not like I’m a meteoric overnight success,” she says, “but that’s more my nature to build something from nothing and climb whatever ladder I’ve decided to climb.”

One ladder she and Matt decided not to climb was parenthood. “It was a conscious decision,” she says. “We were pretty happy with our lives the way they were, and we’re both very into our work, and we both really loved our relationship and knew it would change a lot if we had kids.” Yet Jennie has volunteered with kids ever since she left home — “My original career goal was to be a preschool teacher” — and has found a welcome outlet for her nurturing instincts at a nonprofit organization called 826 Seattle. It’s an offshoot of 826 National, which was formed in the Bay Area by authors Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida to support young people in learning creative and expository writing skills.

Shortly after moving to Seattle, Jennie was introduced by her publicist to Teri Hein, the executive director of 826 Seattle. “It was just starting at the time,” says Jennie. “So I went in and applied to be a volunteer. And I kind of grew into it as almost part of my vocation.”

Now she spends as many as several days a week working with kids, either in a school or at the Greenwood headquarters of 826 Seattle, which serves both as an after-school writing center and as a storefront. And what a storefront it is! The Greenwood Space Travel Supply Company sells space-themed novelties and toys, with revenue from the sales benefiting the organization. In addition, it sets a certain wacky tone that Jennie loves. “Everything we do has a fun, weird little bent to it,” she says. Whether the kids come to the headquarters, or the adult volunteers go out to the schools, Jennie explains that the kids “get to meet adults who truly are interested in them and like them and will spend time with them one-on-one, who will read what they write and help them.”Teachers are often surprised at how much their students learn to love writing.

The secret, Jennie says, is encouraging young people to write about what really matters to them. With some disadvantaged students, those things are not always pretty. Teen pregnancy, drug use, parental neglect, poverty — these are the topics that surface in “Burning the Past,” a 2007 book of essays (available on Amazon.com) by the students of John Marshall Alternative School. (Jennie is listed in the back as one of “the people who lost the most sleep over this project.”) Those particular students were skeptical at first. “They do have defenses, that’s for sure,” says Jennie. “I think the first year they didn’t believe anything we said. When the book came out they were the happiest group I’ve ever seen, and so proud.”

“If I could have been a teacher this is a little bit what it might have been like. I feel like right now I have the best of all worlds.” With a new book coming out, a great husband and passionate about her vocation, you might have to put aside a little jealousy, but you can’t help but be happy for Jennie Shortridge and for all the young people who come under her wing.
She probably wouldn’t mind if you ran out and bought one or two of her books, either.

Eileen Nicol is a frequent contributor to Seattle Woman.

©2008 Caliope Publishing Company