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.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

On the haunt

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I have learned to fit in anywhere. It could be from my years of corporate law practice playing the role of Eliza Doolittle. Or maybe it’s be...

Friday, July 19, 2019

Tumbleweeds

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Some days, I feel like a tumbleweed. Rolling in the wind. Time just passing me by. Sometimes, you drive down a dust filled highway and see...

Thursday, July 4, 2019

This Writing Life

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I realized, after reading some of my more recent blogs, that I never told my readers/friends what happened with my quest for a MFA in creati...

Saturday, June 29, 2019

GO

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There’s a song called “Go” by Tones on Tail that I used to listen to in high school. It was an infectious song that made you want to jump up...

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Dreams

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Today is a new day. I have been in a funk lately. Upon returning from France, my foot worsened and I was forced to stay upstairs in bed most...

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Putting one foot in front of the other

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Like most people, I take my feet for granted. I had been given the gift of mobility. Then all of a sudden, poof, I had it taken away. Well...

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Home

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“Oh California, I'm coming home. Oh make me feel good rock n' roll band. California, I'm your biggest fan. California, I'...

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Home

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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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