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, May 30, 2025

Punk rock girl

›

I just got back from punk rock bowling in Vegas. It was an epic experience. I'd been before, last year for the first time. Before I att...

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Pasadena baby

›

This Saturday, I'm attending the Cruel World festival in Pasadena. I'm excited to see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Blancmange, Garb...

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

The overthinking

›

I had an epiphany this weekend. I just need to write. I need to stop overthinking it. Some of my first stories are my favorite ones. That...

Friday, May 2, 2025

5 am again and again and again

›

It's 5 am again. I am up with the shih tzus. This is my favorite time of day. I play my music, albeit on low. I hang with the puppies an...

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Is it not too late

›

I don't consider this a political blog. But sometimes, I do talk about justice and right now, is a crucial time. Those in power are movi...

Sunday, April 20, 2025

The feels

›

Last night, I had an event at the libros bookstore in Lincoln Heights. It's in a charming neighborhood in LA right off Soto and the ten ...

Saturday, April 19, 2025

The mores...

›

Tonight, I have an event in Los Angeles. I've tried to cut down on LA events. It's hard on me. The drive. My anxiety. My stress. Plu...

‹

›

Home

View web version

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.

View my complete profile