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.

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Dancing with myself

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Sometimes, I feel as if I am writing into a void. I'm working on a novel and it feels weird, lonely, and sad at times. My protagonist is...
Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Book baby twin

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Recently, I've been thinking of how hard I am on myself. I always cross examine myself. I suppose it's the drawback of being a defen...
Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Day 50

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This post just ran on my new substack about my recovery journey. Please subscribe at:  https://substack.com/home/post/p-177961330?fbclid=IwZ...
Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Halloween time

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It's Halloween time! We started decorating yesterday. It was so lovely and fun. I also went to a party Saturday. I dressed as a Diet Cok...
Friday, October 17, 2025

Tomorrow will it ever come

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Tomorrow I'm seeing Morrissey. He's playing in Ontario. Social Distortion is playing with him. I'm hoping everything goes off wi...
Wednesday, October 8, 2025

The mime & me

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At the Paris themed party I attended this weekend in Palm Springs, there was a mime. A mime! While in line, I see him and think about David ...
Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Happy birthday to me

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I am 54 today and up at 4:20 am writing. Who does that on their birthday? Me! I am working on some things. Big things. Wellness things. And ...
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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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