Life of JEM: My Life In The Inland Empire

A BLOG ABOUT THE ZANY CHILDHOOD AND ADULT ADVENTURES OF A GIRL FROM THE INLAND EMPIRE WHO MOVED OUT OF THE INLAND EMPIRE ONLY TO END UP BACK IN THE INLAND EMPIRE.

Friday, April 10, 2026

Growing Up (see my substack)

On day 207 Weeks are going by in my sobriety so quick. I’m on day 207. I’m managing. I am. I am more than six months sober and life is life....

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Hamnet and Me

In my book of essays that I've been in a mad rush editing the first draft of (a collection on grief and trauma) I have an essay on Hamle...

Sunday, February 22, 2026

JEM's review of On the Mad River

So I just read a book called "On the Mad River" by Lucrecia Guerrero published by Mouthfeel Press. It drew me in immediately. The ...

Thursday, January 8, 2026

A new year, a new way

I've been neglecting you dear blog. I am a bit obsessed with writing my recovery substack ( https://lifeofjem.substack.com/p/powerlessne...

Sunday, December 28, 2025

The days after

The days after Christmas can be melancholy. This year, we have Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That's a whole weekend. I don't feel mel...

Friday, December 26, 2025

Merry Christmas everybody

Yesterday was Christmas. Today is the day after. There is always a let down after a holiday. I'm not drinking, so I am not hung over, b...

Sunday, December 14, 2025

90 days and still writing

Cross posted on my substack here: https://open.substack.com/pub/lifeofjem/p/90-days-6e4?r=7cq4g&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web...

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About Me

Juanita E. Mantz (JEM): JEM's life story is the stuff that memoirs are made of. JEM went from punk rock high school dropout to corporate lawyer to rock star deputy public defender and nonfiction writer. JEM's stories, blog and video podcast document her journey so take a look! Her YA memoir, "Tales of an Inland Empire Girl", is available via Los Nietos Press (and through all national retailers). Her book tells the poignant story of her chaotic YA life growing up in the IE. Her chapbook, "Portrait of a Deputy Public Defender, or how I became a punk rock lawyer", was also released in Aug 2021 by Bamboo Darts Press. JEM is married to her wonderful husband Adrian who is a dentist. They have two Shih Tzus, Frodo and Chewbaca (Chewie to his friends). Her work has been published in Aljazeera, The Acentos Review, The Dirty Spoon Radio Hour, Entropy, As/Us, Inlandia, & Mutha magazine, among others. Go to her author website for more info at https://juanitaemantz.com. JEM is in the creative writing MFA low residency program at UNO. She has presented at AWP, Beyond Baroque and the UCR Punk Conference.

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