A Review Of The Best Stories of Illumination Writer Jennifer Geer
Oh y’all, you need to read her work!
It’s time for the second Illumination Challenge! It took me a while to get this done only because of a crazy schedule. I knew this was an assignment I was going to love.
I read one of Jennifer Geer’s stories and knew I wanted to read more. What a pleasure it was! Each of the five pieces she chose was unique but equally captivating.
Jennifer seamlessly weaves history and interesting facts into whatever she writes. Her pieces are incredibly cohesive, yet bring you along with her on a journey into whatever subject she has chosen.
The first piece Jennifer picked to highlight was all about “the Karens.” OK, I admit that I just hear that phrase and cringe. Not that I don’t agree that there are people who meet that definition, but I don’t like the negative labeling of groups as a rule.
Still, this piece is special. It admits some of that cringe factor but turns out to be a humorous celebration of the generations — not only the bad but also the good. It reminds me of discussing your family, warts and all. Jennifer said this was one of her first pieces on Medium, and she should be proud of the result.
Jennifer is a runner, and her next piece is about running. There are a lot of mediocre articles about running out there that don’t provide much helpful information. This is not one of those.
Instead, this gives information you can use, both facts and fallacies. It’s not just for runners but for those who may have thought it is not a possibility to them. Those couch potatoes who enjoy impressing their running friends with their knowledge can probably pick up a fact or two here, too.
The Japanese art of kintsugi is the subject of the next article, but it uses the technique as a backdrop to discuss the current problems in the United States. This piece talks about the unrest in our country, and the need to repair what’s wrong. It’s realistic but full of hope.
My favorite line sums it up well “We won’t hide where it’s gone wrong, but we’ll make it better.”
Hiding what is wrong has been part of the problem, so going forth acknowledging the past yet creating a future where the repaired cracks make us better sounds very good to me!
Many of us have been cooking more in light of the coronavirus, and this article addresses the difficulties we have had at times when our grocery store is out of certain ingredients.
Like how can you make a chocolate cake if you’re out of flour, butter, and eggs? There’s a recipe here for it, along with the idea of exploring Depression-era recipes to learn new ways to cook when ingredients are limited.
Jennifer’s last article brings writing advice from her favorite author Ernest Hemingway. When a 22-aspiring writer knocked on his door in 1934, he opened it and listened to his plea. Hemingway invited him along on a voyage to Cuba, beginning a mentorship that had to have been invaluable.
The advice is timeless and undoubtedly inspirational for writers today.
Dr Mehmet Yildiz is coming up with some great challenges that force us as writers to boldly put our work out there and feel pride in what we have accomplished.
This second challenge, which was communicated by writer Stephen Dalton, encourages us to appreciate the work of our fellow writers, reading not just one article at a time but several so we can sample the body of their work.
It’s been a pure delight to read these articles of Jennifer’s. I can guarantee I will be reading more of her work in the future. And look out fellow Illumination writers — I am watching for you, too!
Thanks, Dr. Y for the challenge!
