About Me

 Jeanne Lyet Gassman

 
I am an award-winning author and teacher whose fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry has been published in literary magazines, newspapers, magazines, and anthologies nationwide. Some of my work has also been reprinted online. I have an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and have just completed my historical novel, THE BLOOD OF A STONE.

Two of my pieces, a short story called "Trio for Two" and a reprint of a non-fiction piece titled "The Gifts of Vanessa," have just been published in the anthology, Sonoran Mirage. You can purchase a copy of that book here. To read an excerpt of my work, click on  the Sample of My Work page.

My awards include a grant from the Creative Capital Foundation to participate in the 2006 Artist Skills Building Seminar and a 2002 Encouragement Award in Creative Writing from the Arizona Commission on the Arts.  I have also been a finalist for the First Annual Longan Award, a finalist in the Wind National Fiction Competition, and a finalist in the 2001 Writer's Digest Writing Competition. In 2003, I received Honorable Mention in the Blackberry Hill Creative Arts Short Story Awards for my story, "First Flight." I was recently interviewed in the Arizona Republic about writing personal memoirs. You can read that interview here.  During the week of Nov. 5-9, 2007, I was the guest writer at the MuseItUpClub online. You can read those interview questions here.

In addition to freelance writing, I teach writing classes at libraries and community centers in the Phoenix metropolitan area. If you are interested in having me teach a class in your community, please email me. To learn about my upcoming classes, click on the Writing Classes & Events page.

My professional background includes a B.A. in English and an MFA in Writing. I have studied writing with such prominent writers and editors as Lee Smith and Alex Blackburn. I have also worked as an editor for literary magazines and newsletters. I have even written scripts for an on-hold messaging service. If you need an editor for your work-in-progress, send me an email, and we'll discuss my fees.

Thank you for visiting.  If you are a writer or even someone who is only thinking about writing, I think you will find something here of interest.

Publications

• "Reading Your Work in Public," Mike's Writing Newsletter, Feb. 2009
• "Let's Talk About Dialogue," Cross & Quill, Jan/Feb 2009
• "Writing With Authority," Mike's Writing Newsletter, October 2008
• "Your Writing Space," Mike's Writing Newsletter, September 2008
• "Seven Things You Should Know About Your Book," Mike's Writing Newsletter, August 2008
• "Painless Pruning," Mike's Writing Newsletter, June 2008
• "Let's Talk...About Dialogue," Mike's Writing Newsletter, May 2008
• "The Magic of Good Description, Metaphor, and Simile," Mike's Writing Newsletter, April 2008 (reprint)
• "Character and Conflict," Mike's Writing Newsletter, March 2008
• "The Positive Side Of Rejection," Art & Prose, December, 2007
• "Tracking Your Submissions," Mike's Writing Newsletter, Issue 24
• "The Name of the Game: Naming Your Characters," Jeanne's Writing Desk column, Mike's Writing Newsletter, Issue 23
  
• "Tips for Writing Great Dialogue," The Writing Show, May 2007
• "The Contest Game: Is it Worth It?" Jeanne's Writing Desk column, Mike's Writing Newsletter, Issue 18
• "The Magic of Good Description, Metaphor, and Simile," Jeanne's Writing Desk column, Mike's Writing Newsletter, Issue 17
• "Critique Groups: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," Jeanne's Writing Desk column, Mike's Writing Newsletter, Issue 16
• "The Secrets of Agents," Jeanne's Writing Desk column, Mike's Writing Newsletter, Issue 15
• "Lessons I've Learned," Jeanne's Writing Desk column, Mike's Writing Newsletter, Issue 14
• "Writer's Block?? Tear Down the Wall," Jeanne's Writing Desk column, Mike's Writing Newsletter, Issue 13
• "The Positive Side of Rejection," Mike's Writing Newsletter, Vol. 10 (reprint)
• "Talk the Talk," Mike's Writing Newsletter, Vol. 10 (reprint of "Writing Terms and Definitions")
• "Present Tense and First Person," Bobbing Around, Vol. Five, No. 2
• "The Process of Publishing A Novel," DynamicWriters.com
• "Writing Terms and Definitions," DynamicWriters.com (reprint)
• "Healing Arts," Literary Mama
• "Trio for Two," (an anthology of prose and poetry)
• "Peoria 'Recycles' Everybody's Junk," Arizona Republic (print and online)
• "First Flight," Wordsmith
• "The Gifts of Vanessa," (reprint in anthology); Wordsmith
• "An American Immigrant," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• "Visions and Promises," Bereavement
• "Stages:  A Journey Through Womanhood," Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph
• "As the Tide Recedes," Compassionate Friends of Maryland (online reprint); From Miracles to Memories…The Caring Never Ends (reprint in anthology); The Colorado Springs Compassionate Friends Newsletter
• "To Nathan," The Colorado Springs Compassionate Friends Newsletter
• "Night Vision," Southwest Manuscripters Poetry Journal
• "Photographic Memory," Voices
• "Teacher's Strike:  Crossing the Line," Modesto Bee
• "The Eronian Solution," El Portal
• "Four Reflections," El Portal

Awards

• Participating Artist, Arizona Skills Building Artists Seminar, Creative Capital Foundation and  Arizona Commission on the Arts, December 2006
• Top ten nonfiction selection, Preditors & Editors 2005 Reader's Poll
• Runner-up, OnceWritten.com Spring 2005 Fiction Competition
• Semi-finalist, 2005 Tiny Lights 11th Annual Contest
• Honorable Mention, 2003 Blackberry Hill Creative Arts Short Story Awards
• Semi-Finalist, Fiction, 2002 Sherwood Anderson Short Fiction Award
• 2002 Creative Writing Encouragement Award, Arizona Commission on the Arts
• Finalist, Writer's Digest 2001 Writing Competition, Literary Short Story
• Honorable Mention, Fiction, New Millennium Writing Awards XI
• Finalist, First Annual Longan Award for Women Writers
• Finalist, Fiction, Wind  1997 National Fiction Competition
• Second Place -- General Short Fiction, Dallas Craft of Writing Conference
• First Place -- Most Publishable Fiction Award, Dallas Craft of Writing Conference
• Third Place, Fiction, Tampa Writers Alliance Awards
• Honorable Mention, Fiction, FCCJ National Writing Competition
• Finalist, Non-fiction, Peregrine XV  National Writing Contest