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.

Saturday, December 30, 2023

New Year's Day

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It is almost a new year. I'm hopeful that 2024 will be the best year yet. I've pledged to work on my health, wellness and of course...

Thursday, December 28, 2023

Reconciliation

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I'm on vacation and it's 530 am. I'm looking at my life. Is it because of the new year beginning? Is it me slipping into middle ...

Sunday, December 24, 2023

Ohhh Christmas tree

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It is 6 am and I have a weird rock in my chest. All I can see is the vacancies and empty spots. It's Christmas Eve and I feel the losses...

Friday, December 22, 2023

Early to rise coffee time

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I get up early. Too early. Yesterday at 4 am (to be fair I was on deadline at work so started work at 5 am) and today at 5 am. What do I do ...

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Blue Christmas

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It's 4 am. I got up early because I couldn't sleep. I'm listening to the song Purple Rain by Prince. I love this song, it's ...

Sunday, December 17, 2023

The wind in the willows

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The wind is whistling. It's shaking the trees this Sunday. I'm up early. Chewbacca woke me up this morning with his whining to go do...

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

The whisper

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I wake up exactly at 4:44 am. It is an auspicious sign because the number 444 denotes positivity and is seen as a signal that one is on the ...

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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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