Today’s guest is the one and only Jeannine Ouellette, who is not only a gifted and celebrated writer, teacher, and editor, but creator of the beloved Substack newsletter Writing in the Dark. In addition, she’s author of the memoir The Part That Burns (2021), and is the quintessential creative advocate and enthusiast. Our discussion gets behind the scenes of how literary community works: how one gets involved, how one involves others, and how artistic momentum can be sustained over time. Jeaninne describes how she’s built her incredibly popular and important newsletter community, literally one subscriber at a time, and how the combination of showing up and caring is what builds genuine relationships. All of this might sound either obvious or even banal, but for those of us who have spent time in an industry filled with solitude, rejection, and very transactional relationships, to defy cynicism and actually counter it with positivity is nothing short of miraculous. Jeannine, as you’ll see and hear, is a miracle: she brings her gifts to the world, but is equally interested in helping others locate, refine, and share their gifts. The sum total of her life’s work (in progress!) is a capacity to enlarge hearts, minds, and stories. This conversation is certain to be continued.
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