Writer. Author. Essayist. Humorist. Former Competitive Figure Skater and coach. Writing coach. Thrifter and collector of eyeglasses.
I hold an MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a BA from University of Pennsylvania in English Literature with a focus on Creative Writing. I competed in the United States Figure Skating Championships four times and have been coaching kids, teenagers, and adults both on and off the ice for over 20 years.
My forthcoming book, MOTION DAZZLE: A Memoir of Motherhood, Loss, and Skating on Thin Ice is about losing my mother on my son's first birthday. It will be released by Vine Leaves Press on September 30, 2025. I’m interested in how we all have to “put on a performance” in our daily lives and push through pain, even when not wearing skates. Motion Dazzle chronicles my attempt to care for two loved-ones on opposite trajectories — my mother with dementia and our newborn — then host a first birthday party (zebra-themed) that would have made her proud.
I live with my son and husband in New York.
UPCOMING EVENTS-N-CLASSES:
Writing Memoir: Proceed with Abandon
All Ways Writing at Creative Arts Workshop
Nyack, NY, Wed November 20, 2024 7-9pm
Sign up here!
[loved this] Micro-Memoir: Tell Your Story in 100 words
Story Space Arts at Studio 101
Nyack, NY, Monday Oct 21st, 2024, 7-8:30
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[loved this]: Memoir Writing Workshop: Slipping Through Time
Big Red Books, Nyack, NY,
Wednesday Oct 2nd, 2024, 6:30-7:30pm
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[loved this]: The Three D’s of Memoir: Details, Dialogue, Drama
Lafayette Writer’s Studio,
on zoom, September 18th, 2024, 7-9pm
Sign up here!
PUBLICATIONS:
Creative Nonfiction:
Freckles, SugarSugarSalt Lit
Carpooling, The Offing
Saab Story, HAD
Sinéad O’Connor Helped Me Find My Voice, Oldster
Patterns, Litro Magazine Editor’s Pick
Four Scar and Many Years, Awakenings Anthology: Stories of Body & Consciousness
Black, White, and Red All Over, LEON Literary Review
Offsides, Words & Sports
A Lifetime Supply, The New York Times Tiny Love Stories
Poisoned, Rougarou - A Journal of Arts and Literature
Floating Away, Five Minute Lit
My Heart Sprouted Legs and Started to Run, Parent.Co
Personal Essays:
Everything I Know About Bumper Stickers I Learned from My Dad, Good Men Project
Kids Can be Really Cruel, Now My Kid Knows That, Scary Mommy
I Listened to One Song on Repeat While Writing a Book about my Mother, Brevity Blog
Figure Skating Forced Me to be Perfect, Ice Hockey was Freeing, NBC Think
The Olympic Figure Skating Doping Scandal Hits Hard, Newsweek
I Got Dropped on my Head While Figure Skating, The Independent
Competitive Figure Skating Made me Terrified of Pain…and Childbirth, Insider
I Never Made it to the Olympics as a Figure Skater, Yes I’m a Little Bitter, Slate
The Moment I Saw My Husband Become a Father, Mamalode
Humor:
Welcome to the Quasimodo Institute for Advanced Hunching, Weekly Humorist
Where to Eat Embarrassing Foods, Jane Austen’s Wastebasket
Writing a Book Proposal: The Panic is Real, Brevity Blog
Sunscreen Warnings: The Fine Print, Greener Pastures Magazine
Quiz: Is That New Mole on Your Face Cancerous?, Slackjaw
Will All You Sexy Beta Readers Please Stand Up? Chill Subs
Practical Uses for your Graduation Mortarboard, Little Old Lady (LOL) Comedy
Mixed Reviews for the Supercute Vest, Belladonna Comedy
No, Honey You May Not Train for Olympic Bobsledding, Frazzled Humor
Challenges of Being a First-Time Mom at Age 40, Scary Mommy
The Chronicles of Parenting Column, Nyack News &Views
Additional Humor in: Blunt Moms, Sammiches & Psych Meds, Mock Mom, Yankee Potroast
Articles:
Remote Coaching Makes Training More Accessible - Even for Skaters, WIRED
Figure Skating Pioneer Maribel Vinson-Owen, The Postgame/Yahoo Sports
Additional Skating Articles in: Skating Magazine, Professional Skater Magazine, Icenetwork, Ice Skating International
Interviews/Podcasts:
Podcast appearance, Rainy Day Collective Podcast
Where I’m From, With Alyson Shelton
How Tanya Harding Changed Figure Skating Forever, Refinery29
A Guide to Balancing Activism and Parenthood, Scary Mommy
Short Fiction:
Tectonics, Roi Faineant Literary Press
Additional short Fiction in: Pindeldyboz, Tartts 2 Emerging Writers Anthology,
Print publications: JANE Magazine, Penn Review, Roanoke Review, Literal Latte (nominated for a Pushcart Prize)
Contact Jocelyn:
